Why are underage children having sex?

Oct 24, 2019

In the responses, parents give various reasons why children are having sex at such an early age.

A National Population Council report says that 10% of sexually active adolescents (ages 15-19) in Uganda had their first sexual encounter before they turned 17. 

NPC senior programme officer John Ampeire on Tuesday said at least 22% of teenagers in Uganda had had sexual intercourse, and this translates into high teenage pregnancy rates. In addition to unintended pregnancies, teenagers are exposing themselves to sexually transmitted diseases, with potentially life-altering implications.
 
In our big debate on social media today, we asked: 10% of sexually active teens, aged 15-19, first had sex before the age of 15 (National Population Council study). Why are children having sex? Who is to blame?

People's response

St-Charles Lydia Sseruwagi The blame should be put on poverty which has made parents forget their responsibility, and parents are sharing one room with their children… Too sad for Ugandans to be poor.
 
Enid Isoke I think partly the parents. As one commented, there should be privacy in everything they do and say in front of the children or protect them from hearing what they are doing. Children need to be trained while they are still young to be responsible, to be involved in housework, etc.

And partly the girls themselves; they are taking sex as a game not knowing the consequences and partly communities as in our time while growing they never encouraged such behavior. Partly local politicians.

Daniel Ongayo I blame poverty and the media. Poverty in the sense that most urban families don't have enough space in houses and as a result parents end up sharing rooms with the children, exposing them to sexual activity inevitably. The media, especially social media and T.V, have also played their impeccable role in exposing young children to pornography.

Apollos Pirwoth Only God's Word can help teenagers and even Adults !!

Sse Sa Nga Having sex isn't the problem, the problem is the family make-up, the knowledge of teens about sex; they look at it as something for pleasure. Even poor education system to a small extent and others.

Muzira Graceous To blame is the environment, media and the negligence by the parents to leave their children in the hands of housekeepers who are not equipped with children's upbringing skills and etiquette.

The housing status has also caused this: no privacy in whatsoever case during day and night. This has exposed these teenagers to practice what they see & hear. This has resulted in a permissive society; everybody does what makes him/her regardless of whether it affects the other parties.

Harriet Kilcommon What???? Was only interested in reading my books/studies at that age.

Davisto Daguy I'm willing to bet at least 90% of those teens are girls. So, ask again who is to blame?

Innocent Jakuma Character & lack of informal education... ????????????????

Derrick O'Neil Blame the children atte who else do you want to blame.

Osiimwe Leesmairpesu Most of them is girls. Good enough am still a virgin at 27.

Felix Kyeyune 15 is just an official figure, today's kids are inquisitive as lower as 12.

Lûbëgâ Pycê Poverty and lack of sexual education and orientation by parents.

Maspa Dan Karamagi They luck the fear of God in their hearts. they follow there parents footsteps.

Alfred Sentongo Lacking guidance of course
 
Charles Hephzibah This is too much.

Ssenkumba Tiago Ronald 100% the parents

Bulwadda Shafik Parents. They no longer have time for children. Maids plus TV sets, social media, the Internet took over the role of parenting.

 

Gilbert Rumba There must have been a known, or unknown mistake, in the way they were brought up.

Nsinga Timothy Leus Ntl Parents

Latif Husyn Is it bad?

SemyulaSamz Bersi How can u blame anyone? The matter concerning nature!!!!!! If you're to blame start with the creator of nature.

Tayebwa Derick No one to blame.

Santi Elijah Santi  The bi guys who convince them to do it.

Hon Sabrina Lukalu The Internet has made it easy for sexually active teens to explore sex at an early age due to easy access to pornographic and dating sites. If the government puts a ban on such sites the way countries like the UAE have there is a good chance of controlling the exposure teens have to sexually motivated content.

Social media has also been a major factor affecting teenagers and even adults alike because teens have been lured by online sexual predators who are often more effective online because of the shield of anonymity and the ease of gathering information on unsuspecting victims.

Social media cannot be banned really but the government can invest in awareness programs in institutions of learning and communities to help naive teens to have prior information on the dangers of engaging with sexual predators online.

Parenting nowadays has been diluted to a point where parents either play a part in exposing their children to sexual content or situations at an early age and some do not even advise their teen children on sexual orientation and how important it is to abstain while others do not stop their children from exercising their sexual desires.

There are a number of reasons that can affect teens into engaging in sex at an early age but in the long run, it comes down to upbringing and exposure.

Musamali Edmond Parents are having sex in broad daylight when children are home, mothers addicted to series of love like Uturan, Beautiful But Unlucky, Madhubala etc, Internet, etc are teaching children good things before they grow up.

@nuwamanyaisaac

We can't blame nature, even if you put two kids of different sex together in a room even when at 6 years of age, nature will force them to do something, I have always seen this happen... It's just nature.

@PNuwenyesiga

Many factors but social media have a good position in the cause.

Myk Miguel Obai

1. Parents nowadays mind more money than their children.

2. Technology is seriously polluting teenage brains.

Wasswa Kakooza

Families also don't care about kids. Ignorance of parents. Copying of Western cultures through movies and TVs.

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