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Talia Sainclair
Kyle King
RCL021H
Rhetorical Analysis
Far too common in western society lies the idea of Africa as a dark continent, plagued
with war and disease amongst corruption and primitivism. But what strides has African
culture, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa, taken to catch up to the modern state in which
we live, and how different was it really to begin with? In Sub-Saharan Africa, certain
social and cultural norms have begun to dissolve, such as the taboo against sexual culture,
allowing for a modern way of thinking to emerge. Condom advertisements combat sexual
stigma in Rwanda by eliminating ignorance and raising awareness for a subject which
was once taboo. The push for social and culture acceptance and use of contraceptives in
developing nations will have a severe positive impact on the people residing there.
The history of sexual culture in Africa is highly complex; however, the means are
simple. Because Africa is still developing, disease is more prevalent than in western
culture, in turn making infant mortality much higher. In order to ensure having children,
couples will have many more children as a precaution against the almost-certainty of
losing some. Culturally, larger families are preferred in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as
needed. Because most of the population lives in rural areas, children are necessary to help
with daily tasks from farming to household chores, while also acting as a makeshift social
security for parents who will need someone to take care of them when they are elderly
and can no longer work. The more children a couple has, the higher likelihood that some
of their children will still be around to look after them in old age. Additionally, as noted
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by Sheila Rule in her article African Rift: Birth Control Vs. Tradition, “To men,
numerous offspring are a symbol of virility. Wives and offspring represent wealth in the
form of manpower,” which highlights the cultural importance of childbearing in east
African culture (Rule).
Large population follows high fertility, and these developing nations in east
Africa suffer from the consequences of such, which became obvious long ago. Rule’s
article, published in the New York Times in 1985, highlights the battle to shift these
cultural values, using Kenya as an example: “The Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Nairobi, has often spoke against birth control. But President Daniel arap Moi and other
government officials have openly called on people to have fewer children and to use
family planning. Yet the attitudes of Catholics and non-Catholics alike in this country and
in Africa as a whole appear to be more in line with those of the Pope. Long-established
customs remain powerful in the face of policies to curb population growth” (Rule). Rules
study of Kenya conveys the struggle within Africa as a whole, that deep-seeded culture
cannot be shifted overnight, now matter how apparent the need seems to be. Although
overpopulation is still and has been an issue in developing African nations for much time,
the movement to resolve this issue has been in motion for quite some time, and seems
now to be making way, as exemplified by the condom advertisements plastered on
billboards all over nations in east Africa.
The current social scope is far more relaxed, and sex culture has become far less
taboo. In Rwanda, pop culture is becoming evermore present, with the celebrities nearly
as sexualized as they are in western culture. With over half of the population under the
age of 25, young is the state of the country, making belief systems easier to alter.
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Although sexual activities are still considered too taboo to openly discuss, the nation, and
Africa as a whole, is slowly but surely becoming desensitized to this idea, and
contraceptive prevalence and awareness are becoming far more common and accepted.
Perhaps the largest drive in making this happen stemmed from the realization that
condoms help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS as well as other less common STDs. In
Rwanda, according to 2006 data, 3% of the 10.5 (now 11.46) million people are infected
with HIV/AIDs, and 78% of men as well as 76% of women have never been tested
(Rwanda). The difference between Rwanda now and Rwanda thirty years ago is that not
only is the culture making headway in accepting contraceptive culture in population
which is over 90% Christian, but also the fact that contraceptives as well as health
services including STD testing are far more readily available, easily accessible, and
affordable to the common citizen (Sources).
Condom advertisements establish credibility by including the name and/or logo of
the company or nonprofit which is sponsoring said advertisement, and likely very well
known and reliable, such as Aids Healthcare Foundation. Citizens are familiar with this
establishment and therefore attribute the advertisement to a credible source, making it
something worthy of their attention and trust in importance and reliability. Also, the fact
that these advertisements are even placed on billboards in the first place says a lot to the
African people, because not just anyone can afford such an investment. Most billboard
advertisements outside of the city, at least in Rwanda, tend to me either something
advocating for the president or another political leader, an advertisement deterring the
concept of rape and sexual assault and raising awareness for the issues, or an
advertisement such as the sort being discussed, for either condoms and/or STD testing.
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Advertisements are placed in the villages as well as more urban areas because these are
not things that are targeting only certain groups of people; the target is all people, so
prevalence and variety of location is important.
Contraceptive advertisements strive to appear to their target audience, sexually
active individuals, as common sense and logical, as if there is no reason why they should
not be used, because truly, there is not. Often times advertisements will contain local
celebrities as an attempt to show that contraceptives are not uncool, but rather accepted
and encouraged.
Some contraceptive and STD testing advertisements play on emotions by scaring
individuals. For instance, there is one advertisement with a beautiful young woman,
which simply reads, “A Free HIV Test Saved My Life, And You?” Here the
advertisement appeals to logic by advertising the testing as free, because why wouldn’t
you do it if it were free, and to emotion by prompting the audience to consider the
possibility that if they are sexually active, there is a possibility they could have contracted
a life-threatening disease, and getting tested could save them, just like the attractive,
young, relatable girl on the advertisement, who aids the ad by showing that anyone can
contract a disease.
Redefining sexual culture in east Africa can and will save lives, by lowering the
TFR and therefore decreasing competition for resources, and also by preventing the
contraction of sexually transmitted diseases. Condom advertisements combat sexual
stigma in Rwanda by eliminating ignorance and raising awareness for a subject which
was once taboo. Their bandwagon appeal, that is, “everyone is doing it” as well as their
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push for cultural acceptance of contraceptive use creates a safer environment for the
sexually active population, which in turn, saves lives.
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Works Consulted
Rule, Sheila. "AFRICAN RIFT: BIRTH CONTROL Vs. TRADITION." The New York
Times n.d.: n. pag. The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Aug. 1985.
Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"Rwanda." AIDS Healthcare Foundation RSS2. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
"Sources." Rwanda, Religion and Social Profile. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.