Effectiveness of social marketing in preventing unwanted pregnancies in low-income countries: A review of evidence

<jats:p>Unwanted pregnancy is a major public health concern with biological, psychological, and social consequences. While high-income countries mitigate its impact through government support, low-income countries (LICs) require cost-effective interventions to drive sustainable behavioral change. Social Marketing (SM) has emerged as a promising strategy to modify behaviors and reduce healthcare costs linked to unintended pregnancies. However, most research focuses on high-income settings, leaving a gap in understanding its effectiveness in LICs. This review examines the role of SM interventions in reducing unwanted pregnancies in LICs and provides evidence to inform more effective reproductive health policies.</jats:p> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>The review includes articles searched on mass behavioural interventions in all reproductive age aiming to prevent unwanted pregnancies in LIC published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish between 2007 and 2022.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>The analysis showed various interventions with multiple outcomes in sexual abstention, reduction of unwanted pregnancies, increased contraception knowledge, use of emergency pill in the last intercourse, and standard day method used in physical and electronic media. In LICs, concise and high-quality educational programs transmitted by radio commenced at early ages, achieved higher exposition, and had a better recall in populations. Mass contraception community-based distribution model is effective and pharmacies are key part of family planning and sexual health education in societies.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title> <jats:p>Social marketing is a cost-effective strategy for reducing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) while promoting positive sexual behaviors, especially in underserved populations. By driving sustainable behavioral change and improving access to reproductive health resources, it can alleviate healthcare costs and enhance public health outcomes.</jats:p> </jats:sec>