Qualitative findings from Girlsplained: a social media application of the Sabido methodology for sexual health and HIV prevention in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The health communication strategy known as entertainment–education can be traced in large part to Miguel Sabido and the methodology he developed using telenovelas in Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s. Entertainment–education has evolved from a long-running narrative approach using traditional media to the addition of new media and transmedia formats. In recent years, entertainment–education programs using social media have increased, yet few studies have explored the shared characteristics and experiences of social media users who engage with these programs. This qualitative study aimed TO examine publicly available social media data (i.e. YouTube and Instagram comments) in response to Girlsplained, an online entertainment–education program designed with objectives related to sexual health and HIV prevention among Black, Asian, and minority ethnic women in the United Kingdom. A process of directed content analysis uncovered five themes of engagement: characters and the narrative; social media; gender and race; HIV/PrEP; and sex and pregnancy prevention.

Keywords:

• Entertainment–education
• sexual health
• HIV prevention
• PrEP
• social media
• United Kingdom

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Correction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article was originally published with errors, which have now been corrected in the online version. Please see Correction (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17453054.2022.2069714)

Additional information

Funding

Girlsplained was supported by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation and created in collaboration with Fully Focused Productions, Prepster, Restless Development, Positive East, Shine Aloud UK, Population Media Center, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.