This book presents a comprehensive and analytical account of the qualitative component of a large intervention study of sexual behaviour change undertaken in rural north-western Tanzania. . . Relevant definitions and concepts are explained in full for readers. . . The particular strength of this book lies in the study findings, which contain rich cultural knowledge that will prove invaluable to other researchers, particularly non-Africans. Equally illuminating is the series of case studies that describe in depth the backgrounds, lives and sexual experiences of individual participants. . . . This is a well-written book of great practical value to both the qualitative and quantitative researcher working in the context of sexual behaviour change in Africa and elsewhere. * Sexually Transmitted Infections *
This book by Mary Louisa Plummer adeptly documents research and implementation experiences, as well as the opportunities and challenges involved in promoting the ABC approach, in rural Tanzania. . . Several features make this book remarkable. First, it draws on methodologically rigorous evaluation research and, second, it critically examines the effectiveness of the ABC approach, which hitherto has been taken for granted and has not merited close academic scrutiny. . . Third, this book provides a very comprehensive description of the triangulation approach for evaluating the efficacy of a sexual and reproductive health program by combining several quantitative and qualitative methods. Plummer's book is also unique in that it critically examines the experiences of young people (the target group) in addition to the challenges and opportunities faced by those implementing the MEMA kwa Vijana intervention, using in-depth case studies from the implementation sites. . . The case studies make the book particularly riveting, . . . the description of young people's experiences in addressing risks and vulnerabilities associated with HIV prevention in Plummer's book is rich, radical and intellectually stimulating, yet easily and readily accessible to a variety of audiences, both academic and non-academic. * Global Public Health *
Promoting Abstinence, Being Faithful, and Condom Use with Young Africans provides a comprehensive description and evaluation of the MEMA kwa Vijana intervention that was developed, implemented, and evaluated over 12 years in primary schools in rural Tanzania. Despite the overall lack of success of MEMA kwa Vijana in reducing HIV acquisition during this time period, Plummer's text is comprehensive and provides important reading for those interested in developing, evaluating, and understanding HIV prevention interventions and their complexities. This book remains one of the few that provides a detailed description of the factors shaping the intervention's lack of success and suggests pointers for alternative future approaches. * Studies in Family Planning *
Plummer's Promoting Abstinence, Being Faithful and Condom Use draws on extensive and meticulously collected qualitative data to answer some of the most important questions about the lives of millions of young people in contemporary Africa. It is, in many respects, a substantial advance for our understanding of both the interventions we implement and the realities of the lives of their expected beneficiaries. This book compels us to look at ourselves and young people in new ways to further consider the meanings of our actions and inactions for young people in Africa in the context of poverty and HIV/AIDS. -- Chimaraoke Izugbara, African Population and Health Research Centre
This thoughtful and detailed work provides an important analytical assessment of how and why behavioral HIV prevention interventions for adolescent populations in sub-Saharan Africa ultimately succeed or fail. Drawing on ten years of fieldwork and a rich qualitative dataset, the book explores the implementation of the Mema kwa Vijana intervention project in rural Tanzania. Using young people's own voices, Plummer clearly explains the difficult and complex personal and social choices that underlie consistent practice of the ABCs of 'abstain, be faithful and use condoms,' thus deconstructing many of the myths regarding the 'simplicity' of the ABC approach. The multidisciplinary social science/public health approach will make this an important text for a wide range of audiences, and a must-read for both scholars and practitioners embarking on HIV prevention research in this setting. -- Abigail Harrison, Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University
This is a formidably comprehensive account of a major theory-based community-based sexual health intervention RCT in the Mwanza district of Tanzania. Mary Plummer describes many of the real everyday challenges to the implementation of this most carefully-designed intervention. A range of ideological, cultural, linguistic, attitudinal, material, gendered, methodological and other barriers - some anticipated but many not - had large impacts on inputs and outcomes. The development and progress of the complex intervention and evaluation are described in great detail, with immense thoughtfulness, insight and honesty, always showing respect for the very real people and the very real lives that were observed. The overwhelming take-home message from the book is that seemingly simple approaches - such as the ABC approach, and/or the use of social-cognitive approaches to behaviour change - are anything but simple. Each and every behaviour has a deeper meaning within communities and societies, and this absorbing volume makes a crucially important contribution in highlighting many of these meanings - as well as the importance of detailed and painstaking research in uncovering these complexities. This will be a most valuable addition to the reading lists of students and researchers who may be planning health-related intervention work in poorer (indeed, any) countries - as well as for those who want to look behind the headlines of the often overly-polished journal articles. -- Roger Ingham, Centre for Sexual Health Research, University of Southampton
