Scaling up access to family planning information through SMS in Tanzania

Mobile for Reproductive Health (m4RH) is a short message service (SMS) system that provides automated information about nine Family Planning (FP) methods through a free, opt-in, interactive menu-based platform. m4RH, originally promoted through clinics and community health workers, is available across all mobile networks in Tanzania. Mass media promotion began in April 2012 as part of a national FP campaign. System queries were tracked through electronic data capture. All users accessing the system were sent four questions on where they learned about m4RH, their gender/marital status, age, and location. A total of 367,198 queries were made by 74,112 unique users between April 1st and September 30th, 2012. Preliminary analyses indicate that among unique users, 58% (n=41,589) reported where they learned about M4RH, 60% (n=43,391) reported age, 64% (n=45,542) reported gender/marital status, and 43% (n=31,882) reported their region. Among respondents, 61% (n=27,768) were male (34% unmarried, 27% married) and 39% female (n=17,774, 21% unmarried, 18% married). The majority of respondents were 24 years or younger (67%), with 26% reporting their age as 19 or younger. Radio/TV/magazine/billboards (47%) and clinics (43) were the most frequent sources for learning about m4RH. Queries were highest for natural FP (18%), condoms (16%), and emergency contraception (13%). In a setting where access to youth-friendly services and male involvement in FP is low, the proportion of men and young people accessing m4RH indicates feasibility for reaching key populations with reproductive health information. M4RH's anonymity, privacy and immediacy may reduce barriers to FP use, thereby facilitating behavior change.