Loving Love9: Findings from the Cambodia Qualitative Assessment of Love9

This BBC Media Action research examines the influence of Love9, a weekly TV and radio programme which aimed to address sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues among young people in Cambodia. Love9 employs a "combination of drama, comedy, and factual discussion to encourage young people to learn directly from their peers" about such topics as contraceptives, multiple sexual partners, sexual orientation, and consent. "A radio discussion show as well as YouTube, Facebook and Soundcloud provide additional information, allowing ...audience members to engage directly. By the end of its first series, the show had gathered over 1 million YouTube views."

The project duration was eight weekly episodes of the TV programme from October to November 2014, broadcast nationally, and a weekly radio broadcast, which ran between June and December 2014. "In addition to addressing knowledge and attitudes, Love9 aimed to make talking about sexual and reproductive health normal and acceptable. To achieve this, the magazine programme included a comedy-drama, a segment with members of a fictional rural family who watched the show, and light-hearted studio discussions with celebrities and guests."

"Researchers conducted paired interviews with two young audience members [15-24 years old from both rural and urban settings] at a time (who were within the same friendship group and had both watched the Love9 TV programme)" in order to assess the programme's effect on the knowledge, attitudes, and discussion around SRH. "They also held in-depth interviews with older people (parents/guardians) who had watched the programme and had children who watched the programme," though from families other than the youth included in the study.

The following are the study's findings: 

• "Young people were very positive about Love9 - they found it entertaining and funny, but they also recognise that it offers them important and useful information about sexual and reproductive health issues.
• Young people and parents trusted the information provided in Love9 and parents viewed the programme positively, recognising its educational role.
• The Love9 programmes have served to reinforce areas of existing knowledge around SRH for young people, especially contraception and health services. But it also highlighted specific new areas young people know less about such as access to safe abortion and the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections.
• Love9 helped to challenge audiences to think differently about some issues, for example women’s use of contraception. However, some attitudes remained entrenched such as differing expectations of young men and young women sexual behaviour.
• Young people still did not feel confident talking to their parents about SRH issues. Parents wanted to provide advice and tell their children what to do and children were worried that they would be judged by their parents.
• On the positive side, young people were talking to each other about these issues, which is important to recognise. "

The study concludes that assessing to ensure engagement of more young viewers in the entire programme might be achieved by either splitting each dramatic episode into two parts with the magazine in the middle or engaging celebrity guests or games to reinforce knowledge. Also: "Characters should be used to role model positive attitudes or practices and the consequences of different choices." Role modelling conversations between parents could  "highlight and address their concerns about young people’s sexual practices" and those between parents and youth could model realistic discussions. "Discussion about SRH among young people should continue to be encouraged and showcased, especially between young people in a relationship and in friendships."

Click here to see film clips of Love9.