His and Her Fertility Preferences: An Experimental Evaluation of Differential Information in Family Planning

Aine Seitz McCarthy, University of Minnesota

In rural Meatu District of Northern Tanzania, only 12% of women are currently using any method of modern contraceptives, although seven times as many report wanting to delay their next pregnancy by two years or stop having children completely. This research evaluates the impact of a family planning program with asymmetric information designed to improve education about contraceptives and explore the role of gender in fertility decisions. I determine the impact of the family planning program on spousal fertility decisions and contraceptive uptake by implementing a randomized control trial. I collected these data through a household survey that randomly sampled 660 households across 12 villages in the district. Preliminary analysis indicates that the family planning program does increase contraceptive use through household visits by a trusted community member and sexual health educator.