Selling Family Planning: Using Social Marketing Principles to Reduce Unplanned Pregnancy

The problem of unplanned pregnancies is one which has challenged communities the world over for decades. The social, economic and public health implications of the problem convey upon it immense importance and a position of prominence on the social and health agendas of the United States, its island neighbor Bermuda, and throughout the developing world. No single approach or solution has been identified, but in the past two decades, several programs have demonstrated long-term effectiveness in reducing unplanned pregnancies and impacting the behavior of those at risk for unplanned pregnancies. From these success stories, evidence is mounting which identifies the programmatic elements most useful and effective in preventing unplanned pregnancies. Applying social marketing principles to the complex problem of unplanned pregnancy prevention is a logical endeavor given the publicized success of its techniques. The following discussion will describe the extent of the problem of unplanned pregnancy in the United States and in Bermuda. The principles of social marketing will be summarized and will be considered in the context of their application to the problem of unplanned pregnancy prevention. The rationale and value of using social marketing to address the challenge of unplanned pregnancy prevention in a variety of communities will be demonstrated.Master of Public Healt