Evaluation of a Mass Media Family Planning Campaign on the Uptake of Contraceptive Methods in Burkina Faso

In this experiment, the investigators will study the effect of a mass media family planning campaign on contraception related behavior. The study takes place in Burkina Faso, a country with an average of six children born to each woman, and a modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) estimated at 15% in 2010 at the national level, as per the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) 2010 report on Burkina Faso. The aim of this study is to provide robust evidence on the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of an intense three-year mass media campaign focused on family planning. The campaign will diffuse messages about the financial and health benefits of family planning, and information on the different types, sources, advantages, and disadvantages of different contraceptive methods. The study will target women at the age of reproduction in rural areas of Burkina Faso to measure the effect of the intervention on total and modern contraceptive prevalence rates, perceptions of family planning, contraception-related behavior, and general gender norms. Burkina Faso is an ideal place to evaluate the impact of a radio campaign because a high percentage of the rural population listens to local radio which is in the local language. Radio station areas are distinct because they target very local languages and their reach is limited by government decree, which allows for the implementation of a randomized control trial.