This document provides a strategy to encourage parents to discuss sexual health and safe behaviors with their children. It proposes spreading a rumor about a new exam on reproductive health that students must pass to enter university. This causes parents to worry about their children's scores. Meetings are then held informing parents there will be no classes on the topic, so they must prepare their children. Online opinion leaders will further discuss the need for parents to have conversations. Finally, an organization will provide video instructions for different scenarios to help parents start these talks. The overall goal is to motivate parents to discuss this important issue with their adolescents.

1. Talk to your child!

2. Observation
“I really hope that my
child will learn
everything from
his/her friends or from
the Internet. There is
quite a lot of
adequate information
on this issue there”
“I really hope that my
child will learn and
understand everything
him/herself, and I won’t
get into an awkward
situation”
“My parents didn’t use
to talk to me on these
topics. My personal
life is going normal.
WHY do I need to talk
about these things to
my child?”
It’s difficult for parents to start conversation about safe sexual behavior and reproductive health with their
own children
Parents’ thoughts:
“I don’t feel like I can be
a good source of
information on this
topic”

3. To encourage a dialog between parents and adolescents about sexual and
reproductive health
Goal

4. Background
14-18 years old teens are future applicants to universities and
colleges
pass 3 exams
provide a school certificate (GPA counts)
To enter the university in Belarus teens need to:
Parents are highly interested in their children‘s top score during the
exams and best education opportunity

5. “I want my child to study in a prestigious
university”
“It guarantees getting high-demand
occupations and future well-being”
“That’s why every score in exam is
extremely valuable”
The most important for parents are …
Insight

6. We spread the rumor in Mass Media that The Ministry of Education and Heath is
elaborating the law which aims to introduce an exam on reproductive health for graduates
entering the higher educational institutions
The exam is obligatory;
Educational programs in schools are still being developed, thus there will not be a separate
subject about reproductive health and safe sexual behavior in school program;
The main source of information for teen is expected to be hisher parents.
Idea

7. Step Channel Description Expected reaction of TG
1 All media Spreading the rumor that The Ministry of Education and
Heath is elaborating the law which aims to introduce an
exam on reproductive health for graduates entering the
higher educational institutions
Amazement, awareness of
the impact of “new score”
for entering the university
2 Event:
Parents
meeting at
schools
Teachers:
-confirm the information;
- there will not be a separate subject about reproductive
health and safe sexual behavior in school program;
- parents remain the only reliable source of information for
teens to prepare for exam (parents know their children
better)
Recognition the
importance of preparing
teens for the exam and
become for him/her the
best teacher on
reproductive health
Execution

8. Step Channel Description Expected reaction of TG
3 Partnership with
more than 200
belarusian OL
through their SN
OL who are parents at the same time start the
discussion on their web-pages:
“Information noise” goes
further than the
governmental level and it
reaches Opinion Leaders.
Parents decide to start the
conversation, because this is
normal. Everybody do = I’ll
do!
Execution

9. Step Channel Description Expected reaction of TG
4 Brand owned
channel
UNFPA Belarus
website
Launch of short video-instructions for parents HOW to
start this conversation, if:
- a child is shy and avoids such an inconvenient
conversation
- a child has a negative sexual experience
- a child is hostile to the conversation
- a child is open and ready to talk
Obtaining visual instructions
on how to behave with the
child, depending on his
response.
The final declination of
parents to start a
conversation with teenagers.
Execution