21st Annual Student Research Conference
Rhetorical Implications of the Uganda AIDS Commission's Young Empowered and Healthy Campaign
Allison K. Schlobohm
Ms. Leslie Hahner, Faculty Mentor
Uganda has been heralded by many as the African AIDS success story, as its HIV prevalence rates have decreased from roughly 20% in the early 1990s to the 2006 rate of 6.7% (Stoneburner and Low-Beer, 2004, UNAIDS, 2006). It is generally believed that these early gains against HIV/AIDS were due in large part to Ugandan President Museveni’s early actions. While most public health messages in Uganda are still produced by local organizations, these organizations have inextricable ties to foreign aid and panels of experts. In this study I examine messages aimed at adolescents throughout Uganda which were produced by the Uganda AIDS Commission with funds from USAID. I will prove that specific elements of the education campaign Young Empowered And Healthy (Y.E.A.H.) represent young women as opportunistic sexual decision-makers whose decisions affect all of Uganda, ultimately doing little to curtail the AIDS crisis while creating scapegoats of the young women.
Keywords: rhetoric, women's issues, AIDS, post-colonialism
Topic(s):Communication
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 45-3
Location: OP 2115
Time: 3:15