Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) for Frontline Health Care Workers is a learning package for use in face-to-face workshops with nurses, community health extension workers, and HIV counselors on SBCC and interpersonal communication (IPC) . The package comprises a Facilitator’s Guide and a Participant Handout Packet with worksheets.
C-Change carried out five studies--four research and a mapping assessment--to inform the national response to HIV and AIDS in Jamaica. The studies focused on groups who are stigmatized and also vulnerable to HIV infection: sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), and young women and men involved in cross-generational sexual relationships. Some of the main findings of each study are outlined below.
The case study describes C-Change’s role and activities during the rollout of the Government of Kenya’s Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Program from 2009 to 2011. Under the leadership of National Male Circumcision (MC) Taskforce and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, C-Change provided technical assistance and capacity building in SBCC, working closely with a range of partners to operationalize and implement the National MC Communication Strategy; coordinate VMMC communication activities;and develop effective, evidence-based VMMC communication materials.
C-Change developed the SBCC Capacity Assessment Tool in three versions to assist: organizations to measure their technical capacity and needs in SBCC; donors and networks to assess their capacity and that of the partners they support and manage; and individuals for an organization or facillitator to assess the capacity of individuals (staff or participants) in SBCC.
The study "Community Dialogues as a Method to Discuss and Reduce Multiple Concurrent Partnerships in Lesotho" evaluated C-Change’s community dialogue intervention titled Relationships: Intimacy Without Risk. The study gathered and analyzed the perspectives of participants in five districts in Lesotho. It aimed to assess whether the dialogues had been effective in improving communication on concurrency (or multiple concurrent partnerships) and on cross‐generational and transactional sex, and whether there had been a positive effect—or potential effect—in reducing these HIV risk behaviors. The evaluation also gathered suggestions from participants on how future community dialogue interventions could be improved. A secondary research objective was to explore the role of concurrency in contributing to the spread of HIV and to identify other issues seen as problematic in communities.
The Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Communication Materials Adaptation Guide offers comprehensive communication guidance for VMMC programs scaling up services in new settings. The guidance is particularly relevant for program managers who lack the resources and time to develop social and behavior change communication (SBCC) materials to support informed demand for VMMC services, address cultural barriers, and promote safe sex after the procedure. While the guidance focuses on adapting SBCC materials on VMMC, it can be applied to other health topics.
A 10-step process for adapting materials and products is detailed in the guide. Steps include engaging with stakeholders and employing the VMMC communication strategy; assessing the time and cost of an adaptation; developing a creative brief that guides the process; and conducting concept tests and pre-tests with members of intended audiences. An appendix includes a flowchart that outlines the decision-making about adaptation; another appendix provides guidance on conducting audience consultations; and a third appendix includes a creative brief template.
C-Change conducted a series of Action Media workshops in Jamaica in November 2010 with men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers, and community educators to inform the development of SBCC resources to support and strengthen HIV prevention interventions with and by these populations. Action Media workshops in The Bahamas were held in September 2011 with MSM, individuals engaged in sex work contexts, and people living with HIV.
At the November 2011 APHA annual conference, 
C-Change presented preliminary findings from an operations research study on couples of reproductive age in Tanzania. The Gender Equitable Men (GEM) Scale was used to analyze spousal communication and attitudes toward family planning (FP) decision-making. Preliminary findings reveal that husbands and wives had similar scores, but only husbands' scores were significantly associated with gender-equitable attitudes toward FP decision-making.
Findings from the C-Change research in Tanzania on spousal communication and gender-equitable attitudes as predictors of contraceptive use were presented at the November 2011 APHA conference. A baseline household survey was conducted and gender attitudes were measured using the Gender Equitable Men (GEM) Scale. Results showed that women’s scores were significant predictors of contraceptive use, but men’s scores were not. While influencing men toward gender-equitable attitudes is worthwhile, it is women's gender attitudes that influence contraceptive use in this setting.
This presentation delivered at the November 2011 APHA meeting describes a comprehensive approach to promote positive social and gender norms to prevent and mitigate school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) among students ages 10-14 in primary and secondary schools of Katanga Province in the DRC. This approach is based on a model of social and behavior change communication that utilizes advocacy, community and social mobilization, and behavior change communication strategies to change social and gender norms and promote actions by schools and communities to create a safer environment for young people.
