Drama, Intrigue, and Discussion: The Role of Telenovelas in Facilitating Conversations about Reproductive Health in Mexican Households

Abstract

This study examines the role of an entertainment-education intervention in informing Mexican adolescents and parents about sexual and reproductive health-related discussion and information-seeking. A survey of young adult (N = 491) and parent (N = 223) viewers of the Spanish-language program Vencer el Miedo assessed the influence of exposure to the telenovela’s storylines regarding these issues. Heavy viewing of the program predicted adolescent information-seeking about contraceptives via three distinct channels. Additionally, some effects were recorded for parent viewers, and parent-child co-viewing emerged as a significant moderator of communication about one reproductive health topic. Overall, these findings suggest that entertainment-education programs tailored to Mexican culture and the experiences of Mexican families can bring about attitudinal and behavioral changes across the age spectrum, an outcome that is particularly important given the relatively low rates of contraceptive knowledge and use among adolescents across the country.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability And Prior Usage Statements

Data is accessible by contacting the primary author at [email protected]. The data in this manuscript have not been used in prior published or in press manuscripts.

Supplementary Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2022.2126563

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Population Media Center, Inc.