Religious leaders’ nuanced views on birth spacing and contraceptives in Sierra Leone-qualitative insights

Struggles to implement Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and sub-optimal family planning programs has led to high adolescent pregnancy rates in Sierra Leone. The role of religious leaders in influencing community attitudes and shaping public health outcomes cannot be overstated. A qualitative study led by Institute for Development (IfD) in collaboration with the Christian Health Association of Sierra Leone and the Department of Biological sciences at Njala university provides valuable insight into the views of religious leaders on birth spacing and contraceptives in Sierra Leone.

Diverse perspectives among religious leaders

The study, which included focus group discussions with 32 Muslim and 84 Christian religious leaders, across nine different denominations in 11 districts, found a spectrum of opinions:

• There was a general acceptance of natural birth spacing methods, like abstinence during fertile periods, across both Christian and Muslim leaders.
• Catholics were generally opposed to modern contraceptive methods, citing religious doctrine against interfering with procreation.
• Pentecostals and some Muslim religious leaders found modern contraceptives more permissible under certain circumstances, such as when promoting family well-being.

Photo courtesy of statehouse.gov.sl

Opportunities for collaboration

The study reveals opportunities to leverage support for natural birth spacing methods from both Christian and Muslim religious leaders. Further, it highlights the possibility of working with some Christian and Muslim religious leaders, that are more accepting of modern methods, to improve health outcomes in Sierra Leone.

Building on the findings

Building on the findings of this study, IfD, in collaboration with ODI, is delving deeper into the views of Muslim religious leaders on CSE in Sierra Leone, through the Align project. Align aims to identify entry points for policy makers and practitioners to find alignments between CSE and the views of Muslim religious leaders.

The goal is to find common ground where CSE can be introduced in a manner that is respectful and accepted by Muslim religious leaders and the wider community.

For more detailed insights and findings, check out the full study on Religious leaders’ views on birth spacing and contraceptives in Sierra Leone (here). For more on IfD’s ongoing Align project check out the project page (here).