Advertising sexual health services that provide sexually transmissible infection screening for rural young people – what works and what doesn’t
Deepa G. Gamage A , Candice A. Fuller A , Rosey Cummings A , Jane E. Tomnay B , Mark Chung A , Marcus Chen A C , Cameryn C. Garrett D , Jane S. Hocking C , Catriona S. Bradshaw A C and Christopher K. Fairley A C EA Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic. 3053, Australia.
B Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, Rural Health Academic Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3053, Australia.
C School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3053, Australia.
D Centre for Women’s Health, Gender and Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3053, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: cfairley@unimelb.edu.au
Sexual Health 8(3) 407-411 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH10144
Submitted: 19 November 2010 Accepted: 16 February 2011 Published: 17 August 2011
Abstract
Background: ‘TESTme’ is a sexually transmissible infection (STI) screening service for Victorian young people living in rural areas. We evaluated the effectiveness of advertising for this service over an 11-month pilot period. Methods: The advertising that was used included websites, a Facebook page, posters, flyers, business cards, wrist bands and professional development sessions for health nurses that occurred throughout the pilot period. We also used once-off methods including advertisements in newspapers, student diaries and short messages to mobile phones. Results: Twenty-eight clients had a consultation through TESTme. Twenty found the service through health professionals, six through the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) web page, one through the Facebook page and one through the student diary. The total direct costs incurred by the centre for advertising were $20 850. The advertising cost per client reached for each advertising method was $26 for health professionals, $80 for the MSHC web advertisement, $1408 for Facebook and $790 for the student diary. Other advertising methods cost $12 248 and did not attract any clients. Conclusion: Advertising STI health services for rural young people would be best to focus on referrals from other health services or health care websites.
Additional keywords: Australia, campaign, Facebook, media.
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