Heavy Sexual Content Versus Safer Sex Content: A Content Analysis of the Entertainment Education Drama Shuga
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Date
2016-04-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health Communication
Abstract
Extremely popular with Kenyan youth, the entertainment-education drama Shuga was designed with
specific goals of promoting condom use, single versus multiple sexual partners, and destigmatization of
HIV. Almost as soon as it aired, however, it generated controversy due to its extensive sexual themes and
relatively explicit portrayal of sexual issues. To determine how safer sex, antistigma messages, and
overall sexual content were integrated into Shuga, we conducted a content analysis. Results indicated
that condom use and HIV destigmatization messages were frequently and clearly communicated.
Negative consequences for risky sexual behavior were communicated over the course of the entire
series. Messages about multiple concurrent partnerships were not evident. In addition, in terms of
scenes per hour of programming, Shuga had 10.3 times the amount of sexual content overall, 8.2 times
the amount of sexual talk, 17.8 times the amount of sexual behavior, and 9.4 times the amount of sexual
intercourse as found in previous analysis of U.S. entertainment programming. Research is needed to
determine how these factors may interact to influence adolescent viewers of entertainment education
dramas.
Description
Keywords
Sexual Content, Safer Sex, Entertainment, Education, Drama, HIV
Citation
Nancy Achieng’ Booker, Ann Neville Miller & Peter Ngure (2016) Heavy Sexual Content Versus Safer Sex Content: A Content Analysis of the Entertainment Education Drama Shuga, Health Communication, 31:12, 1437-1446, DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2015.1077691