STRUCTURE

Just as loveLife’s design is based on intensive scientific research, its implementation and results are being monitored and evaluated on an ongoing basis, according to rigorous criteria.

loveLife’s six-year, comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme is being implemented through a partnership of researchers from the Reproductive Health Research Unit of the University of Witwatersrand and the Medical Research Council of South Africa, and Cambridge University (United Kingdom).

The programme integrates three levels of study:

Baseline Assessment – baseline information is collected from selected participants in all of loveLife’s programmes, and includes demographic information, awareness of loveLife’s messages, and sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and practices – all of which contribute to a comprehensive baseline assessment from which changes are tracked over time.

Sentinel Sites – the impact of loveLife programmes such as Y-Centres and adolescent-friendly clinics is closely monitored as 33 sentinel sites and compared to data collected from the population at large. A combination of research methods, including behavioral surveys and biologic samples, are used to track sexual risk behaviors, HIV and STD prevalence, and pregnancy rates.