The Burlington Free Press on Tuesday profiled the Population Media Center, a Vermont-based not-for-profit that produces international radio and television soap operas with social messages about reproductive health-related issues.

The dramas use a technique known as the Sabido method to promote public health messages about family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention or reducing female genital mutilation. Mexican television executive Miguel Sabido developed the method in the 1970s as a way to address issues related to sex, abortion and other sensitive topics through entertainment.

The Population Media Center's programs are broadcast in more than one dozen countries, including Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria and Vietnam. Evaluations of the shows' impact show they generate a significant positive response from audiences, the Free Press reports. For example, in a survey in Tanzania, 58% of respondents said they listened to the center's series, and 82% of those said they had changed their behavior as a result.

Nearly half of Ethiopians have listened to the center's radio drama, "Sibrat," according to estimates from a country official. An independent evaluation found that the program -- which addresses FGM -- raised awareness, encouraged public conversation and inspired action against the practice (Johnson, Burlington Free Press, 11/30).

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