Perspectives of religious beliefs and family planning by religious leaders and young women: results from a qualitative study of Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is religiously diverse compared to its neighbors. Religion and religious leaders are often perceived as being against family planning (FP) use. That said, the literature on different religions and religious leaders’ position on FP does not demonstrate a uniform stance and there is a dearth of perspectives related to use among young people. Qualitative data for this study were collected in July 2022 in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim young women who were aged 18–24 and were current users of FP. In-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted with pro-FP Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim religious leaders. The FGD and IDI data were translated and transcribed into French, thematically coded, and qualitatively analyzed. Young women of all faiths generally perceived their religions were against FP use for anyone, and especially for unmarried women. There was some openness to FP use by married women for birth spacing, especially with the consent of the husband. When young women were asked about their reasons for using FP despite their perception of their religion’s position against it, married young women said they used FP due to financial and practical difficulties inherent to modern day life, and to promote a more harmonious family life. Unmarried young women used FP to avoid social stigma and to pursue their own studies. IDI with pro-FP religious leaders of all faiths demonstrated their support of FP; they spoke of its benefits. While religious leaders did not say their religion prohibits FP use, they expressed some conditions on their support of FP such as marital status, purpose of FP use, and type of method used. This study shows that while young Christian and Muslim women largely perceive their religion to be against FP use, other factors are considered in their decision to use. While religious leaders remain influential, for young women, societal level pressures are more pressing. Religious leaders and other stakeholders should consider the current needs of young people and their own evolving beliefs around FP in their messages to their communities.