The effects of a communication program on contraceptive ideation and use among young women in Northern Nigeria

This study assesses the effects of a communication campaign designed to encourage young people in northern Nigeria to use modern family planning methods to avoid unwanted pregnancies. The analyses are based on a sample of 819 sexually experienced women. Using multivariate probit regression, we attempt to correct for possible endogeneity among campaign exposure, contraceptive ideation, and contraceptive use. Our analysis reveals that the direct effect of campaign exposure on the probability of contraceptive use is only marginally significant, but the effect of exposure on contraceptive ideation is robust, as is the effect of contraceptive ideation on contraceptive use. The findings demonstrate not only the success of the program but also the relevance of incorporating ideation into analytic models assessing the effects of communication campaigns.