Religious Leaders’ Knowledge of Family Planning and Modern Contraceptive Use and Their Involvement in Family Planning Programmes in Burkina Faso: A Qualitative Study in Dori in the Sahel Region

Abstract

Introduction It is necessary to understand religious leaders’ perceptions of modern contraceptive use and their role in influencing fertility behaviour for the successful adoption of family planning, especially in societies where the religious leaders’ opinions can have a significant influence on individuals’ reproductive decisions. This study, therefore, aimed to assess religious leaders’ knowledge of family planning and their involvement in family planning programmes in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso. Methods This is a qualitative study comprising in-depth individual interviews with twenty-one religious’ leaders in the town of Dori in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso. An interview guide was used for data collection. This interview guide was developed based on the central themes and sub-themes determined for the research, namely, the religious leaders’ knowledge of modern contraception, the inclusion of information on modern contraception during religious activities and the relationship between religious leaders and reproductive health services. All interviews were recorded and transcribed in French using Microsoft Word. The verbatims were then coded for content analysis. The analysis method chosen was that of thematic analysis. Results The results of the study showed that religious leaders had good knowledge about family planning including modern contraceptive methods and fertility regulation through birth spacing. Regarding their involvement in family planning programme, religious leaders said they were not involved enough. However, the results of the study showed that leaders are reluctant to promote the use of FP methods. Conclusion Although religious leaders are knowledgeable about family planning, they are still reluctant to promote the use of modern contraceptive methods in their communities. To do so, efforts are needed to sensitise and mobilise them in family planning programmes. The cooperation of local religious leaders will help promote family planning and improve Burkina Faso’s performance on the Sustainable Development Goals through the achievement of the demographic dividend in the country.

Fertility Regulation in Burkina Faso: Refusal to Impose a Fixed Number of Children per Woman, But Attitudes in Favour of Lower Fertility

“…Studies in Burkina Faso have shown that religious leaders are important opinion leaders. They have a strong influence on communities and can play a key role in informing the community about fertility behaviour, contraceptive use and FP (Bado et al, 2020;Barro & Bado, 2021). The study found that religious leaders overwhelmingly stated that the use of modern contraceptive methods is contrary to the principles of religion (Barro & Bado, 2021).…”

Parental Knowledge, Willingness, and Attitude towards Contraceptive Usage among Their Unmarried Adolescents in Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria

“…According to the population distribution on religion, Christianity has the highest percentage, which corresponds with the study by Osemwenkha [ 37 ]. Religion is one of the major determinants of an individual's social and personal behavior within the family [ 38 ]. This study found a significant link between religion and contraceptive knowledge.…”

Factors Associated with Decision Making about Family Planning Use by Refugee and Host Population in Adjumani District, West Nile, Uganda; A Cross Sectional Study

“…Although, majority of the refugee and host populations in Adjumani district are Catholics (56%), the catholic teaching discourage use of contraception because it is regarded as an abortion, thus killing the unborn baby. A study by [21] in Burkina Faso revealed that much as religious leaders have good knowledge about FP, they are reluctant to promote FP use. A study done in Somalia also revealed that religion is key barrier to access to FP [22].…”