“Breast-Ironing, Breastfeeding and Child Mortality: experimental evidence from Cameroon”

Breast ironing is a traditional practice that involves scarifying, massaging or pressing the breasts of adolescent girls. The rationale of this practice is based on the belief that a flattened breast will discourage unwanted male attention and sexual intercourse at a very young age, reducing the risk of rape, sexually transmitted infection, unwanted pregnancy and early marriage. Medical experts warn this practice could contribute to infection, fever, tissue damage and to the complete destruction of breast glands eventually leading to breast cancer and possibly interfering with breastfeeding later in life.

We plan to conduct a randomized control trial to test whether information provision on the harmful consequences of breast ironing and alternative methods to protect young girls from teenage pregnancies can efficiently reduce the practice in Cameroon.