Sexuality in the Egyptian Print Media

By G.I. Serour and Ahmed R. A. Ragab

Background
While it is recognized that media encompasses diverse modes of communication both modern and traditional, the media here refers essentially to the mass media – print and electronic. The media is significant largely because of its recognized and powerful role in the dissemination of information to large populations; as well as its prominent role in the moulding of public opinion and as a socialization agent.

The media, undisputedly, has a powerful influence on society and conversely, social groups also have the opportunity to influence what is reported in the media. In promoting socio-economic development, well-being and good health of target populations, the media is a powerful tool and as such must be aided to present and disseminate factual and balanced information that will engender behaviour change. This is especially crucial for the largely misunderstood and new emerging fields of sexuality, sexual health and sexual rights.

Sexuality in the Print Media
The coverage of reproductive health and sexuality in the print media in Egypt has improved tremendously since 1998. In March 1998, the Population Council in Cairo organized a roundtable discussion to present key findings of a research conducted to selected journalists associated with widely read Arabic newspapers and magazines. Topics covered in this session included male involvement, post-abortion care, female genital cutting (FGC) and adolescents.

Two outcomes resulted from this roundtable. First, participants wrote several articles and in-depth news reports about the issues presented. Secondly, this session led to an ongoing dialogue with this group of journalists [1]. Following this success, the POLICY and FRONTIERS Projects in Egypt jointly organized a session on maternal health services in collaboration with the Population and Family Planning Sector of the Ministry of Health and Population. The session resulted in the production of several press articles and lengthy news reports [1]. Based on these experiments and in order to widen media coverage of critical reproductive health issues in a more systematic manner, an intervention project was designed and was based on three elements:
First: An assessment of the coverage of reproductive health in the Egyptian Press was undertaken for 10 months, from May 1999 to March 2000. A sample of Arabic-Language newspapers and magazines from different publishing houses in Egypt was selected and Daily screening of the press was conducted
Second: A network was formed of about 20 journalists from newspapers and magazines of different publishing houses.
Third: Four roundtable discussions were organized on critical reproductive health issues including marriage patterns in Egypt, youth and reproductive health, women and menopause, and contraceptive technology. The results of the evaluation of the roundtable discussions showed a general increase in journalists’ knowledge about reproductive health issues.

When assessing the content of newspaper and magazine articles published by network members, it was noted that many of them heavily quoted the fact sheets and press releases included in the press files for each roundtable discussion [2].

Aims of the Current Study

1. To conduct content (discourse analysis) of media reporting on sexuality, sexual health and sexual rights (S/SH/SR) to determine the quantity and quality of focus
2. To determine the incidence and extent to which the media contributes to misinformation and negative treatment of issues of S/SH/SR. That is, how does the media use pictures, cartoons, language and positioning of article and editorials to promote or devalue issues regarding S/SH/SR?
3. To determine the factors influencing the publishing (or absence) of articles on S/SH/SR in the media.

Areas of Focus
For the purpose of this study, the subject areas included the following: sexual health/ sex education/sexual rights; reproductive rights; adolescent and youth issues; HIV/AIDS; family planning; violence and abuse/female genital cutting; infertility; maternal health; abortion and other related topics

Research Questions
The research questions included the following:
• How frequently are S/SH/SR issues featured in the press?
• What aspects of S/SH/SR are presented?
• How much of S/SH/SR information is provided?
• Where/when is S/SH/SR featured in the press?
• From what perspective (conservative, progressive, liberal) are they written?
• Who are the target audiences?
• How balanced are the views/discussions provided?
• How does the media coverage of S/SH/SR fit in/challenge/contradict the social, economic and legal contexts?
• How does media coverage of S/SH/SR impact on policy issues?
• How are S/SH/SR issues linked with broader health issues?

Methodology
From January to June 2004, project staff reviewed a sample of selected Arabic-language newspapers of different publishing houses in Egypt, including governmental and party papers. Two part-time project staff conducted the screening of the sample of the Egyptian Press. All articles featuring reproductive/sexual health/sexuality issues were clipped and logged using a special sheet. Information gathered on each clipped article was entered in the sheet based on the following headings: date of publication, name of the publication, length of the article; type of the article (feature, column, news, letter to the editor); reproductive/sexual health/sexuality issue covered in the article.

It should be noted within the context of Egypt that the circulation figures often do not reflect the reality regarding readership of the paper, as many readers, especially in work places, public libraries and rural areas, could share one newspaper. Following this step, the articles were sorted based on the areas of focus earlier identified (above) and regardless of the date of publication and the publishing house.

Findings
During the life span of the research, from January-June, 2004, 369 articles were studied that included news/ information about sexuality issues. Table (1) shows the distribution of the articles by their type: News, column, question and answer, feature and letter to the editor.

More than one quarter of the articles, 29.8%, were on family planning. This was followed by reproductive health and rights at 18.4%. Violence against women constituted 13.0% while sexual health and education constituted 7.6%. Adolescents and youth reproductive health issues accounted for 6.5%; and lastly, HIV/AIDS constituted 6.8% ( see Table 2).

Evidence from the Egyptian Demographic Health Surveys 2003 (see Table 3), indicates that print materials are the least popular of the three mass media as source of information for the public and thus unlikely to be a major source of information on sexuality and reproductive health. One plausible explanation could be the nature of the articles in the newspapers. Mostly, as shown from the findings, information from this medium is often incomplete and in some cases incorrect. What is disseminated is mainly news about conferences, meetings, workshops, programmes and training workshops in the area of sexuality and reproductive health in Egypt.

Lessons
The study provided evidence that if an intervention programme is designed and implemented to inform and engage media practitioners, it would be successful. Consequently, there is a need to design an intervention programme, which provides media practitioners with a reproductive health/sexuality reference package as well as necessary training. This would ensure that the messages disseminated are more correct, informative and sustainable.

Recommendations
There is need for an intervention programme that would provide a targeted group of newspaper writers with correct, understandable, reliable, and sustainable package of information on sexuality and reproductive health issues. The Ministry of Health and Population and the National AIDS Program could design and implement such a programme, which in the past proved to be successful in the area of family planning.

To implement the suggested programme, there is also a need to work with senior editors, to develop a database of the journalists who are interested and qualified to work in the subject area and also to conduct training programmes for the targeted journalists. In addition, it would be important to form a network of the target journalists and to develop a press briefing kit, which should be updated frequently.

Reference
1. Hegazy S; and Khalifa M (2000): Increasing the Coverage of Reproductive Health Issues in Egyptian Press Project, the Population Council, Cairo.

Bibliography
El-Zanaty, Fatma and Ann A. Way. (2004). 2003 Egypt Interim Demography and Health Survey. Cairo Egypt: Ministry of Health and Population (Egypt, National Population Council, EL-Zanaty and Associates, and ORC Macro.

Serour G.; Ragab, A and M, Mahmoud (2004): Role of Husbands in Family Planning/Reproductive Health Decisions within the Family, NPC, Cairo.

UNFPA (2004): HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care for Young People Using Health Centers, February, 2004, Cairo-Egypt

* Prof. Dr. G.I. Serour is Professor and Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology and specialist in Infertility Treatment at Al- Azhar University since 1982. He is also Director, International Islamic Center For Population Studies and Research, Al- Azhar University.

Ahmed Ragab is a reproductive health consultant and assistant professor in applied reproductive health research at the international Islamic Centre for Population Studies and Research, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

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