Folk Media, Family Planning Communication and Contraceptive Use in Rural Nigeria

Abstract This paper examines the relevance of folk media in promoting family planning in local communities, using a community-based family planning project in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria as a reference point. The project engaged trained Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) as folk media system in disseminating information on the cost and benefits, and clinics offering family planning services, and to encourage the adoption of contraceptive methods by women in the community. Drawing lessons from this project, this paper argues that the use of TBAs as folk media system leverages on their trust and popularity in local health matters to enable family planning programmes surmount socio-cultural obstacles in contraception among rural women. It also facilitates men’s participation in contraception-related decision making and guarantees access to services in culturally-responsive ways. To guarantee sustainability and local acceptability, family planning programmes should utilize indigenous or folk media systems relying on local cultural themes and symbols. Key Words: Community, Folk Media, Family Planning, Health Promotion, TBAs, Rural Nigeria JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 4, No. 2, October 2012, 159 - 170. © Delmas Communications Ltd. About the authors 1Ediomo-Ubong Nelson is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology/Anthropology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria **Aniekan Brown is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology/Anthropology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria ***Nsikanabasi Udofia is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology/Anthropology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria Full Article Words: 6,255; Pages: 12