Reproductive health slogan

The core of a good reproductive health propaganda slogan is never neat confrontation and loud shouting, but the need to destigmatize, accurately reach out in different scenarios, take into account both scientificity and empathy, so that audiences of different ages and backgrounds can understand, believe and use it. This is the most practical conclusion I have come from after three years of dealing with grassroots disease control and community family planning specialists.

I went to a community health service center in the suburbs a while ago to help organize promotional materials. I laughed when I flipped through the slogan library from previous years. They all read "Strictly prohibit non-medically necessary fetal gender identification" and "Consciously abide by the family planning policy." They were as rigid as the attendance regulations posted at the door of the unit. The eldest sister who specializes in the work said that it used to be painted on the wall at the entrance of the village, and the uncles and aunts walked around it, and no one wanted to take a second look. Later, they changed it to "it is the same for boys and girls, and the health of the baby is the most important." Within three days, an aunt brought her daughter-in-law to ask about the pre-pregnancy check-up, and the effect was surprisingly good.

Interestingly, practitioners in different fields have been arguing about the size of slogans for almost ten years. Academic communication scholars believe that reproductive health promotion in public settings should take into account public order and good customs, and should not be too straightforward to cause public discomfort. Two years ago, a city's subway posted a slogan "Use condoms correctly every time you have sex," and parents complained that it "teaches children bad things." This is a typical contradiction. But the front-line disease control personnel don’t think so at all. A friend of mine who works in disease control in a university town said that they posted a straightforward message at the entrance of the university cafeteria: "Use condoms correctly to prevent AIDS and pregnancy." At first, some people said it was too explicit, but it turned out to be safe that month. The number of self-pickup kits increased by 42%. Later, statistics from the school hospital showed that the number of students seeking consultation for unintended pregnancy dropped by 30% within six months. "Everyone is already ashamed to talk about this matter, but you are still making charades. Who can understand?"

Later, both sides took a step back and conducted pilot projects. The public transfer stations with high traffic flow used the mild "scientific protection, protect the health of yourself and your partners", while the university town stations kept the straightforward version. As a result, there were no problems on both ends: ordinary citizens did not feel offended, and students could also receive clear reminders, which can be regarded as a balance point.

Don’t think that reproductive health promotion is only for young people. The pain points of middle-aged and elderly people need to be seen more. I was doing research in the community last year and saw a notice posted on the bulletin board saying "Prostate examination is not something to be embarrassed about. Once a year, you will avoid suffering." An uncle standing next to me looked at it for several minutes. Later he chatted with me and said that he had been urinating frequently for almost half a year. He always felt that it was embarrassing and too embarrassed to go to see it. After seeing the slogan, I went for a free screening the next day. Fortunately, it was only a mild hyperplasia, and it was much better after being prescribed medicine that cost dozens of dollars. There are also interesting slogans for mothers. The slogan posted next to the postpartum center says, "Pelvic floor muscle repair is not an IQ tax. Only if you don't leak urine can you hug your baby and run around." It is a hundred times more effective than shouting "Postpartum recovery should be as early as possible." Many mothers will stop and ask about the free screening quota in the community when they see it.

Of course, speaking plainly is not necessarily good. The most important thing is not to make mistakes. I have seen some merchants post "painless abortion and zero harm" before. That is completely misleading. In essence, it turns reproductive health propaganda into a drainage tool, which will harm people. I personally feel that reproductive health is the same as taking medicine for a cold or fever, or wearing sneakers for running. The more frank the slogan is, the less likely people will look at it through colored glasses.

Last time I chatted with Sister Zhuangan, she had just changed a new slogan for the village's bulletin board: "Reproductive health is not a private matter, it is really good for the whole family to have peace of mind." There were no gorgeous words or formal confrontations, but people passing by were willing to take a second look, and that was enough.