Immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are a rapidly growing US population whose reproductive autonomy may be particularly threatened by contraceptive misinformation. A pervasive myth that contributes to the consistently low uptake of modern contraception in SSA is that modern contraception causes infertility. Given the centrality of childbearing to their identity, SSA men and women who desire to prevent or delay pregnancy often avoid modern contraception to protect themselves from the perceived risk of contraception-induced infertility. However, little is known about how contraception mis/disinformation affects the contraceptive decision-making and use of African immigrants in the US. We aim to fill this gap by examining the dynamics and impact of contraceptive mis/disinformation in the US African immigrant population. Our specific research aims are to:
1. Identify common contraceptive mis/disinformation beliefs and their sources in three SSAI communities
2. Elucidate the psychosocial risk factors that increase exposure and susceptibility to contraceptive mis/disinformation in these populations
3. Determine the impact of contraceptive mis/disinformation on contraceptive beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and use in these populations
4. Identify how contraceptive mis/disinformation is transmitted and perpetuated among SSAI.
The study will employ a concurrent triangulation mixed methods design, with 110 sexually active African immigrant men and women in the US of reproductive age, 15-49, from three countries of origin–Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. Findings from this study will be used to inform future interventions to combat the spread of contraceptive mis/disinformation within this rapidly growing, underserved US population.