In Rakai, a lack of sexuality education is fueling teenage pregnancies.
According to a survey conducted by Reproductive Health Uganda, 2,093 teenage girls were impregnated during the lockdown.
The rising rate of teenage pregnancies in Rakai district has been attributed to a lack of access to sexuality education.
According to a survey conducted by Reproductive Health Uganda, 2,093 teenage girls were impregnated during the lockdown.
Reproductive Health Uganda’s communications coordinator, Fortunate Kagumaho, says they’ve discovered that many people, including parents and opinion leaders, have failed to provide sufficient guidance to youth, including sex information.
According to Kagumaho, the victims were found to be generally unaware of correct measures for preventing early pregnancies, which may have spared them if they had sought out the appropriate knowledge from their parents, schools, guardians, or community leaders.
Despite the fact that the community is already suffering from the negative impacts of adolescent pregnancy, Kamugaho claims that no conscious interventions are being made to address the issue.
Although the Covid-19 lockdown has worsened the situation, she believes it should serve as a wake-up call to all parties, including religious leaders, parents, and traditional leaders, to recognize the problem and work together to find solutions.
Godfrey Kimbugwe, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kooki Chiefdom and the Rakai District Community Development Officer, says they are both concerned about the matter. He claims, however, that they are working with many stakeholders to reverse the trend.
According to Kimbugwe, the cultural institution is now identifying all unfit cultural practices in the area and forcefully addressing them.
According to a poll done by Makerere University School of Public Health in December last year, three out of ten females in school admitted to having sexual intercourse before reaching the age of consent in Ugandan legislation, which is 18 years old.
According to the poll, 44 percent of all children born in Uganda are unplanned due to a lack of access to family planning services or inadequate knowledge about the services.