ASK RHU:
AN AI-POWERED CHATBOT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Ask RHU is a mobile messaging service that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to instantly answer young people’s questions on SRHR. When young people told us how dependent they were on their mobile phones for SRHR information, we knew something had to be done to improve the quality of information available online.

Co-designed and developed by and for young people, Ask RHU stands against the overwhelming anti-choice and fake news that young people must sift through. Developed in partnership with Uganda’s foremost SRHR provider – Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), and chat commerce expert, Say It Now, Ask RHU is available nationwide to young people across Uganda.

 

INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION

Ask RHU turns a mobile phone into a trusted advisor on accurate and judgment-free SRHR information. Using Facebook Messenger, young people send a question to Ask RHU and receive instant medically verified answers on over 750 SRHR topics. Content includes contraception, unwanted pregnancy, HIV and STIs, and COVID-19. Helping clients understand detailed information on a topic, Ask RHU is built with contextual tools to provide responses based on user’s intent. AI technology ensures answers are delivered instantly, with a clear dialogue flow to mimic human-like conversations.

SafeHands | Abu Hussein | Uganda | 2021

SafeHands | Murungi Annitah | Uganda | 2020

 A REFERRAL LINK TO SERVICES

Ask RHU complements the work of healthcare providers by automating routine information on young people’s frequently asked SRHR questions. Designed to complement healthcare services, Ask RHU encourages clients to visit their nearest youth-friendly clinic. Ask RHU is not a replacement for a healthcare provider.  Clients are encouraged to visit their nearest healthcare services, with referrals made to their nearest RHU youth-friendly clinic using GPS location. Using evidence from the private sector, chatbots can improve efficiencies and improvements to client-centred healthcare services.

WHAT IS ASK RHU?

  • A software that conducts a conversation through text using Facebook Messenger  

  • Uses AI to imitate human conversations to solve tasks  

  • Personalises communication, aid or access to information quickly and efficiently

  • Designed with and for young people

  • Covers over 750 medically verified SRHR topics    

  • Provides a referral link to youth-friendly services

  • Available nationwide across Uganda

SafeHands | Fortunate Kagumaho | Uganda | 2021

DESIGNED WITH AND FOR USERS

Using human-centred design, we involved young people throughout each step of Ask RHU’s innovation process. Young people were instrumental in the co-design, piloting and testing and identifying key areas to drive continuous improvement. Our co-design panel engaged youth leaders in Uganda to refine the idea, identify key topics and content and map a typical user’s journey. Our co-design panel helped to identify personas of typical users with user patterns, needs for information and privacy concerns. Young women we surveyed in Uganda were three times more likely to rely on a borrowed mobile phone than their male peers. Our co-design panel underscored users would not want their conversation history shared, preferring to sign in and out. Facebook Messenger was identified as the best platform to address young people’s online safety and privacy concerns.

YOUTH-FRIENDLY

Ask RHU currently covers 750 SRHR topics – from contraception, unwanted pregnancy, STIs and HIV and consent, with new content added on an ongoing basis. The name Ask RHU draws on RHU’s brand as a trusted name for young people’s SRHR. 230 young people were involved in the testing and piloting Ask RHU and tested the functioning of the bot on a range of questions relating to SRHR – using slang, typos, incomplete thoughts as they would speak, even using emojis or confusing logic. Testers ensured Ask RHU’s tone, dialogue flow and topics covered met the expectations of a youth-friendly service.

SafeHands | Fortunate Kagumaho | Uganda | 2020

Ask RHU is increasing young people’s access to digital SRHR information  in Uganda

As part of our Knowledge and Information on Safe Sex (KISS) project, young people are accessing our AI-powered chatbot Ask RHU to answer questions on SRHR. Ask RHU is a mobile messaging service delivering instant, accurate and reliable safe sex information to young people across Uganda.

 

SafeHands | Paige Rogers | Uganda | 2020

Digital SRHR information

“Ask RHU is one thing young people have been waiting for” says peer educator and Ask RHU co-design panelist Tabu. Tabu knows how much fake news and misinformation young people sift through online. “Most of the times we’ve been getting information which is biased and not correct from social media but Ask RHU with the way you interact with the chatbot on Facebook Messenger asking questions and learning what you don’t know. It’s really important for us young people.” Ask RHU ensures young people can access trusted SRHR.