Text box: Primary and secondary target audiences

An intervention to promote safe circumcision for HIV prevention had a goal of encouraging men to come forward for circumcision. The primary audience was uncircumcised men at risk of HIV infection; the secondary audiences included health workers, opinion leaders, and female sexual partners. In this setting/context, each audience required its own targeted communications plan.

However, the same intervention also had a goal of mobilizing policy-makers to incorporate circumcision policies into the existing national health policy framework. In this context, ministry of health officials and legislatures, plus other opinion leaders, also constituted a primary audience.

Table 5: Illustration of a communication and advocacy plan for primary audience

Communication objective	Primary audience	Communication strategy	Dissemination tools	Timeline	Resources	Responsible person
Persuade men to go for safe medical circumcision	Men	Sensitization workshops	Pamphlets, Drama skits, Change champions	3 months	Health workers, Community mobilizers, Funds	Project communication officer
Seek support of policy-makers to incorporate male circumcision into the post-natal care services	Policy makers	Seminar	Policy brief	9 months	Principal investigator Program researchers funds	Principal Investigator

Table 6: Illustration of a communication plan for secondary audience

Communication strategy	Secondary audience	Communication strategy	Dissemination tools	Timeline	Resources	Responsible person
Seek support of opinion leaders to support medical circumcision in their communities	Opinion leaders	Sensitization campaigns	Change champions Videos	3 months	Health officers, films, funds	Project communication officer
Persuade men to seek safe medical circumcision	Sexual partners	Partner- counseling	Pamphlets	6 months	Counsellors, Rooms for privacy, funds	Project counsellor