World Contraception Day takes place on September 26th every year. The day’s mission is to improve awareness of all contraceptive methods available and enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health. The 28th of September marks the annual International Safe Abortion Day which is a day of action in support of the right to safe abortion.
To mark that days in 2020, WHO AFRO conducted a social media campaign to raise awareness on existing modern contraceptive methods.This campaign aimed to increase understanding of contraception’s usefulness in the fight against sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, and unwanted pregnancies, which most often lead to high-risk abortions and maternal mortality.
The three-day campaign was conducted in English and French on WHO Africa’s Twitter and Facebook profiles. It reached more than 76,000 people. The messages were liked more than 2200
times and created more than 4000 interactions.
The key messages shared were:
- Today is #WorldContraceptionDay! Abstinence or consistent & correct use of contraception methods such as condoms can prevent unwanted pregnancies & protect against #STIs, including #HIV. More info: http://bit.ly/2zuybJb See the post on Twitter
- Are you sexually active? Use DUAL PROTECTION! #Condoms help prevent unintended pregnancies & STIs, such as #HIV. Untreated, some STIs can have serious consequences, including infertility! See the post on Twitter
- #Contraception not only stops the spread of #STIs and unintended pregnancies but also empowers people & advances human rights! See the post on Twitter
- Learn the FACTS on #WorldContraceptionDay! Why use DUAL PROTECTION? FACT: Hormonal contraceptives & IUDs are highly effective at preventing pregnancy. FACT: Hormonal contraceptives & IUDs do not protect against STIs, including HIV See the post on Twitter