Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
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Pan American Social Marketing Organization (PASMO)

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PASMO works on HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive health using targeted research, partnering with private and public health facilities, and social marketing strategies in the areas of behaviour change communication (BCC) and product sales to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and foster sexual and reproductive health in communities throughout Central America from Belize to Panama.


PASMO uses market forces to contribute to sexual and reproductive health in the region. It also supports family planning efforts, particularly focusing on women of scarce resources in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

Communication Strategies

PASMO uses research as a basis for its programme interventions, including testing social marketing and BCC interventions.

 

Campaigns in various countries are themed according to the results of population-focused research. Themes include messaging such as: "To plan is to love"; "Got It? Get It." condom campaigning (including public service announcements - PSAs), and "Fight against HIV/AIDS."

 

PASMO has used information kiosks with: voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) facilities; educational youth games including knowledge trivia; 123 Health - an interactive education methodology; condom demonstrations; and face-to-face reproductive health chats at health events in public plazas, and participation in parades, including the use of placards and torchlight vigils, particularly centred around World AIDS Day. It also focuses on information dissemination at locations such as major public markets.

 

PASMO programmes include:

 

Club en Conexión: an animated website for adolescents and young adults to develop a process of education in which information, values, and character formation regarding sexual and reproductive health permits them to live in a manner responsible to themselves and their partners.

 

Combined Prevention for AIDS in Central America and Mexico: the programme's objectives include: reducing stigma and the tacit tolerance of homophobia and discrimination against people for their sexual orientation, occupation, or sero-status, particularly at health clinics and facilities; increasing condom access; combined voluntary counselling and testing with treatment facilities; and reducing the prevalence of risky behaviours.

 

 

 

Women’s Health Project – WHP/Proyecto de Salud para la Mujer: In 2008, PASMO started working with women of reproductive age and few resources in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua to provide family planning and access to sexual and reproductive health information, facilities, and birth control methods in order to reduce mother and infant mortality, increase reproductive health, and reduce the percentage of unwanted pregnancies. The strategies of the project include partnering with private medical facilities and providing training, partnering with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and state and private agencies working with women’s health, and providing mobile clinics.

 

Development Issues

HIV, Reproductive Health.

Partners

Republic of Germany through the German Development Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Embassy of the Netherlands in Nicaragua, Summit Foundation, YouthAIDS, The Global Fund, the Erik E. and Edith H. Bergstrom Foundation.

Sources

PASMO website, August 25 2011.