Effects of a novel youth sexual and reproductive health programme in Zambia: An experimental study

Objective: Knowledge about sexual and reproductive health is often limited among adolescents in Zambia, and this limitation may have negative health effects. Although programmes have been developed to increase such knowledge, these programmes can sometimes be seen as being in conflict with cultural values. Design: This study examined the effects of adding a novel programme involving teaching and storytelling about character (Lubuto Mentoring ) to a standard sexual and reproductive health programme (Stepping Stones), which engages with topics such as communication, assertiveness, safer sex, sexually transmitted diseases, and gender-based violence. Method: The experimental group participated in the novel curriculum, which combined Lubuto Mentoring and Stepping Stones, and the control group took part in the standard curriculum (Stepping Stones). Both treatments lasted 13 weeks. Setting: Participants were 371 Zambian young people aged 15–19 years. Results: Participants in both programmes demonstrated increases from before the intervention to after in knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, and confidence in their ability to undertake challenging behaviours pertaining to sexuality, and well-being. The increases did not differ between groups. Participants were run in three cohorts. In each cohort, one group of participants took part in then Lubuto Mentoring -enhanced programme, and the other cohort took part in Stepping Stones. Later cohorts showed larger increases than did earlier cohorts. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that training in character strengths using techniques such as storytelling as part of sexual and reproductive health programmes in Zambia is feasible without reducing overall efficacy.