Report: IVRS ACTIVITY FOR CONDOM PROMOTION

Tissue Paper at Bars

Objective:

In the financial year 2011-12, MDACS has been keen to use innovative ideas through which awareness can be brought about on a large scale. As per NACO guidelines, Condom Promotion Activity is one of the most important campaigns. This is because one of the major reasons for contracting HIV/AIDS is unsafe sex.


Problem:

The transmission of the HIV virus is largely due to unprotected sexual intercourse. Risky behaviour in the context of HIV/AIDS may not be much different from engaging in unhealthy and irresponsible sexual activity. Unless we understand Sexuality in its complexity, our effort to fight HIV/AIDS and mitigate its impact will yield very limited results.  It is quite difficult to find out the high risk behaviour of any particular person.

Strategy:

Considering the impact of high risk behavior, it was proposed to use the following tactic to bring about awareness to those who could probably be involved in risky behaviour.

A number of advertisements appear in newspapers in the form of classifieds. These are often published targeting those who are keen to find random sexual partners. It is obvious that those who are keen to use these contacts are also those people who indulge in sexual activity with multiple partners. It is not possible to stop this behaviour amongst the public, but it is our responsibility to ensure that there is correct and consistent use of condoms during every sexual act.

Impact Mechanism:

The best method to impart the knowledge of ‘correct and consistent condom use’ to this risky batch of people is targeting them through the IVRS. The Integrated Voice Response System is one where voices can be recorded and will play automatically when someone calls by phone. This recording is in the form of a woman’s voice as she gives a clear message on the usage of condoms.

IVRS is one of the excellent activities through which awareness has been created among the high risk population who is our most important target. An interactive dialogue was facilitated through IVRS where an open discussion on sexual activity was made possible.

Solution:

A phone number was generated and this number was advertised through various modes such as Newspapers, Tissue-papers at Bars and on stickers that were pasted at public toilets and more. This number was used for sex chats and encouraged the high risk population to make calls. When they called on this IVRS number, an initial discussion was had with them and then the automated messages related to condom were given.

The following method was followed to procure a number for IVRS:

• Procured a long code mobile number and set up the basic infrastructure
• The number was leased for 3 months
• Set up a PRI line: while the long code was a point of entry, the PRI line spreads out the calls, so that 30 concurrent calls could be attended to at the same time
• Developing ICRS scheduling application
• There is a program / application that was written that took care of the backend, PRI line and the interactions

The following tasks were undertaken for generating the IVRS system:







Audio Production

• Voice over artist
• Voice recording
• Studio
• Producing audio
• Lease of the number

Stickers placed in strategic areas

Impact Medium for reaching out to people indulging in high-risk behaviour:

Tissue papers are commonly used in bars. The main target for this project was the SEC C & D Bars. The Bar Girl NGOs targeted these bars as they offered opportunities for high risk behaviour. The specially created tissues were mixed up with regular ones at these bars to ensure that they fell into the hands of people indulging in high-risk behaviour.

The stickers with phone numbers were put up at bus stands, public toilets, inside trains and more. This was an effective means of targeting high-risk groups.

The Impact

• Over 200,000 calls were received in just one week of giving the newspaper advertisement.
• The impact of this activity is that a huge number of High Risk Population has been covered. After every discussion, the proper messages related to High Risk Behaviour and correct and consistent usage of condoms were given.
• Another advantage was that a database of the people calling in has also been created.