Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of mass media promotion of vasectomy services in Sao Paulo Brazil.

In Brazil as in the rest of Latin America the low prevalence of vasectomy as a family planning method is probably due to lack of availability not demand. In a single clinic in Sao Paulo Brazil ProPater a private agency performed >3000 vasectomies in 1984 relying primarily on word-of-month promotion. Inspired by the dramatic increase in clientele resulting from a 3-minute television report ProPater began an operations research project in September 1985 to test the effectiveness of mass-media promotion on demand for vasectomy and clinic performance. Magazine advertisements were reviewed and tested in the ProPater waiting room. Just prior to the campaign a publicity drive was organized around an international sterilization conference hosted by ProPater. Then the advertisements appeared in 27 issues of mass-circulation magazines. In the 1st 2 months nearly 1400 calls were received of which 50% were referred by an advertisement. 2 news weeklies accounted for 77% of referrals. Apparently the ads reached an audience which had not yet considered vasectomy. The number of new clients doubled and vasectomies performed increased 65%. The advertisements also inspired almost 200 letters requesting information 45% from outside Sao Paulo State. Annual performance should exceed 4000 vasectomies up from 3000 the year before and the magazine campaign continued to show effects 5 months after it was over. Preliminary promotion of a ProPater satellite clinic in Rio de Janeiro has shown positive but less powerful results. The campaign has not received the negative publicity other programs have sufferred from recently. Future studies will attempt to determine optimum cost-effective advertising.