Research Article Open Access

Strategic Communication as an Inevitable Tool for HIV/AIDS Campaigns: Evidence from Offa Community, Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated strategic communication as an inevitable tool for HIV/AIDS campaigns in Offa using a fear appeal approach. For simplicity, the study employed univariate method of analysis. The results showed that fear appeal based messages do not significantly pose any behavioural change in the pandemic of HIV/AIDS disease among respondents in Offa Kwara State. Furthermore, the results confirmed that fear appeal messages in HIV/AIDS campaigns will only succeed in arousing the curiosity of the people to ultimately ignore the fear and engage in high risk behaviour that will predispose them to have HIV/ AIDS. Hence, the study concludes that proper use of simple messages to create adequate awareness among people is critical to persuading them to modify their attitude towards HIV/AIDS. Therefore, the study recommends that, the use of fear appeal messages in HIV/ AIDS campaign should be discouraged and if otherwise, such messages should be modified in order to reach the desired result.

Asogwa CE and Esimokha G

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