The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
less than
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 22 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

Impact Data - Improving the Reproductive Health of Adolescents in Bangladesh

0 comments
Date
Knowledge Shifts
The school-based intervention increased overall knowledge of several aspects of RH, though knowledge levels varied. Nearly all adolescents, for example, had heard of HIV/AIDS; and knowledge of how the virus is transmitted increased from 66% to 84%. However, less than half of adolescents could name 3 other sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and knowledge of a woman's fertile period remained low.
Practices
at the intervention sites (12% and 19%) than at the control site (5%).

Between August 2000 and January 2002, adolescents (predominantly girls) made a total of 4,729 attempts (including repeat visits) for different types of services. The majority (87%) obtained RH services - mainly tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccines for girls who were pregnant or contemplating marriage. Clinic attendance was strongest in the site where all 3 interventions took place.
Access
Over 130 teachers in 39 schools completed reproductive health (RH) education sessions for approximately 9,000 students. Over 6,000 out-of-school adolescents attended the classes held by community facilitators, while another 2,000 obtained RH information from peer educators. However, reaching out-of-school boys was challenging, as many were working and could not attend the educational sessions.
Source
Letters sent from Laura Raney to the Communication Initiative on September 25 and December 4 2003; letter sent from Ismat Bhuiya to The Communication Initiative on February 24 2004; and Operations Research summary on the FRONTIERS site.