Reviewing the Digital Landscape for Sexual and Reproductive Health – Myanmar

September 19, 2024 | Through Myo Yar Zar and Aung Hein

Intersecting challenges may prevent Myanmar’s youth from accessing information about sexual and reproductive health. New avenues open up possibilities.

Limited health infrastructure in remote and conflict-affected areas, combined with the lack of comprehensive sexuality education in schools, pose challenges for Myanmar’s youth. Field-based sexual and reproductive health education projects often face community resistance or travel restrictions. Furthermore, prevailing socio-cultural norms in Myanmar’s diverse ethnic communities often stigmatize discussions about sexual and reproductive health, making it difficult for young people to access important and protective information.

If young people are not well informed, they are vulnerable to a range of risky choices and behaviours: unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse.

In search of answers, young people in Myanmar are increasingly turning to online platforms for crucial health information, driven by the accessibility of budget-friendly smartphones and affordable data plans. Social media platforms have become popular channels for organizations to share health-related content, a trend that has accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, amid the vast amount of online content lies misinformation and inappropriate material aimed at young audiences.

The issue underscores the urgent need for easily accessible digital platforms that provide reliable sexual and reproductive health information tailored to the needs of young people.

One successful initiative is Ma Shet Ne (Don’t Be Shy), a digital programme launched in 2019 by BBC Media Action and supported by the UNOPS-managed Access to Health Fund. Ma Shet Ne uses a range of social media channels to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education, facilitate open dialogue and connect young people with healthcare providers.

Understanding the landscape

In Myanmar, Facebook remains the dominant social media platform, followed by TikTok and YouTube. That – along with the fact that the vast majority of young people use mobile phones to access the internet – has influenced the design of the program. Another crucial consideration is the need to make these digital programs accessible offline, especially in times of instability and crisis.

Poor internet speeds and network outages are particularly common in Myanmar’s more remote areas, often home to the people who need reliable information the most. Ma Shet Ne is reaching more people without internet access by printing posters and distributing memory sticks and DVDs with sexual and reproductive health content to implementation partners, who display the content on TVs in clinic waiting rooms. The program connects users seeking information online with offline services by integrating referral directories into messaging platforms.

Safe spaces for everyone

Ma Shet Ne’s promise of anonymity is key to accessing information on traditionally taboo topics. To be truly inclusive, digital health solutions must provide accessibility features for people with disabilities and ensure that content is available in a variety of minority languages.

Each month, the Ma Shet Ne project produces special content on sexual and reproductive health, tailored to people with disabilities, addressing their specific needs. In one example, a sign language component was added to the content to reach people with hearing and reading disabilities.

A responsive and creative approach

The Ma Shet Ne team actively monitors comments and direct messages each month, conducts annual surveys to understand public questions and information gaps, and adjusts content accordingly. With over 300 messages per month, the program works closely with health care professionals with the training and expertise to address specific sexual and reproductive health questions.

Using multimedia formats such as videos, infographics and interactive quizzes, Ma Shet Ne deviates from traditional methods of disseminating information in Myanmar. By using games, learning about health topics becomes attractive and relatable to young audiences. Since its inception, Ma Shet Ne has reached more than three million people, mainly between the ages of 18 and 34, who have engaged with its content.

It should be noted that while we have focused on Ma Shet Ne for this piece, we also acknowledge the other Access to Health partners who have worked tirelessly to create digital resources for sexual and reproductive health. Together, these projects open doors to a digital future with immense promise in overcoming barriers to sexual and reproductive health education among young people in Myanmar – and helping to protect their well-being. They also demonstrate the potential for reaching vulnerable communities with vital health information.

Myo Yar Zar and Aung Hein

Myo Yar Zar is a medical doctor and program manager at the UNOPS-managed Access to Health Fund. With over 18 years of experience in public health, he oversees grants focused on sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, ensuring that health information and services reach the most vulnerable in Myanmar.

Aung Hein is a public health professional with over 15 years of experience, specialising in social behaviour change communications, demand generation, business development and digital solutions. He is a senior manager at BBC Media Action Myanmar, overseeing projects in health, livelihoods and nutrition, social inclusion and migrant workers.