SFH utilizes a social marketing approach to promote health products and services such as condoms (Plaisir, Protect and Prudence), HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT), alongside behavior change communications to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. SFH Rwanda therefore uses unique approaches and strategies to reach targeted populations which include the use of mid and mass media as well as collaborations with both district leaders and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). The CBOs conduct condom promotion special events and Interpersonal Communication sessions within the community on correct and consistence use of condoms. SFH also conducts referral activities for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC). Community interventions and the mass media are supported are supported by communication channels that include billboards, newspapers, and a number of promotional materials. Our HIV prevention campaigns include: 

  1. Plaisir night campaign: Plaisir Night campaign is designed to reach one of the hard to reach audiences, the Female Sex Workers (FSWs) and their clients, and Men who have Sex with Men (MSMs) and other audiences who may not be reached during day time. It is conducted in bars and night clubs during the weekend where the primary audiences go for amusement.
  2. Plaisir Road show and Plaisir Condom Concert campaign: For the Plaisir road show and concert campaign, SFH combines edutainment and innovative communication technics to reach the primary audience-youth, and the general population, the campaign is conducted in all the 30 districts in Rwanda. Campaign activities focus on HIV prevention methods and the benefit of correct and consistence condom use. Below is a graph showing the number of people reached.
  3. The Moonlight: It mainly focuses on HIV Testing and Counseling, and it is organized under the Rwanda Social Marketing Program, the campaign targets key and mobile populations and conducted at night in hotspots such as bars, lodges, nightclubs and in trade centers where the primary audiences are identified, it is mainly designed for female sex workers and their clients. Those tested negative are counseled on how to remain negative while those who tests HIV positive are referred to care, treatment, and prevention services.  The greatest benefit is that HIV prevention services are brought to closer to the audiences and creates easy linkage to health facilities for those who need follow up to care, treatment and support services.
  4. HIV sensitization campaigns among men in Uniform: Society for Family Health (SFH) Rwanda funded by the USG Department of Defense (DOD) implements HIV prevention interventions among the members of the Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF), their families and community surrounding military barracks.  The main objective is to reduce HIV incidence by increasing safer sexual behaviors among members of the RDF and their partners.  Sensitization activities have led to an increase in the number of soldiers and their partners who get tested and get to know their HIV status, increase in the number of soldiers who are circumcised through the promotion of voluntary medical male circumcision and the correct and consistence use of condoms among men in uniform.