Improving reproductive health rights in Uganda

The Situation: There are more young people today, and HIV/AIDS has affected more than half of the world's population that is under the age of 25 years. Uganda's young population is 52% of the population and this is the age that is most affected by HIV/AIDs. The high risk sexually active women account for 16% of the youth, while high risk sexually active men account for 36%. Related to these behavioural challenges are unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and cross-generational sex that are grossly exploitative, especially for the girl child. Adolescents are frequently reluctant to seek sexual and reproductive health services (SRH).

In Uganda, adolescent health and development is constrained by translation of the relevant policies to practice. Recent studies done in central Uganda have shown that there is need for a critical assessment of adolescent friendly services (AFS) to gain insights on current practice and inform future interventions. This study aimed to assess the sexual reproductive health needs of the adolescents and explored their attitudes towards current services available.

Our research results clearly show that adolescents have real SRH issues that need to be addressed. In and out-of-school adolescents had sexuality problems such as unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), defilement, rape, substance abuse. Unique to the females was the issue of sexual advances by older men and adolescents. We further highlight RH needs which would be solved by establishing adolescent friendly clinics with standard recommended characteristics (sexuality information, friendly health providers, a range of good clinical services such as post abortion care etc.). With regard to health seeking behaviour, most adolescents do not take any action at first until disease severity increase.

Adolescents in Uganda have multiple sexual and reproductive health needs that require special focus through adolescent friendly services. This calls for resource support in terms of health provider training, information education and communication materials as well as involvement of key stakeholders that include parents, teachers and legislators.

SCOEN works to ensure that adolescents and young people have access to adequate and accurate information and friendly health services. Youth counseling, access to family planning and HIV/AIDS services are among the packages used to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS.

Currently we have limited fund to carry on with work, with the fund from generous people like you here have resently supported our girl counseling session.

Thank you for you support.