10-year-old children using condoms in Moyo district

 

SEX       TEENAGE PREGNANCY 

KAMPALA - Although teenagers are encouraged to abstain from sex, it is increasingly becoming a big challenge to be put in practice by many of them in Uganda.

Currently, children as young as 10 years are engaged in sex whereas 13-year-olds are getting pregnant in some districts.

This partly explains the high teenage pregnancy rate now standing at 25% having raised from 24% in 2016.

According to the Assistant Health Officer for Moyo District Michael Adrewa, children as young as 10 years are engaged in sex and some are using condoms in the district.

"This shows that young people are sexually active and parents are not doing enough to guide them. Why should a child of 10 years use a condom? This is not a good revelation," Adrewa says.

He explained that 9% of young boys ages 10 to 15 are using condoms compared to 2% of girls in the same age bracket.

"The majority might be engaged in sex without any protection. This kind of information is worrying and we are calling upon everyone to do all they can to help the young people," Adrewa says.

Minister Moriku speaking during the World Population Day celebration in July

 
Adrewa said this on Monday during a meeting with members of the Uganda Parliamentarians Forum on Food Security, Population and Development.

The MPs were in Moyo to try and find lasting solutions to teenage pregnancy that is affecting and killing dreams of many young girls in the country.

The State Minister for Primary Health Care Joyce Moriku Kaducu, also Woman MP Moyo district expressed concern over the high teenage pregnancy statistics which he attributed to moral decadence.

"There is an increase in teenage pregnancy and this is not good for the future. We need to fight it together because, with high teenage pregnancy rates, we shall forever remain trapped in poverty and never develop as a country," Kaducu says.

Despite the fact that young children are engaging in sex and girls getting pregnant at a tender age, Kaducu said it is not right to provide condoms and other family planning products to them.

"We don't have a policy on sexual reproductive health and rights, we can't, therefore, allow girls to be given family planning products without any guiding instrument. Sex is for adults and family planning should be for adults," Kaducu says.

She revealed that consultations are underway to seek people's opinion on what kind of law should be put in place.

"We want a law that will favour the adolescent girls on the kind of sexual reproductive health information and products they should be getting," Kaducu says.

 According to Kaducu, the first contraceptive to young people should be sexual reproductive health information which is age-appropriate.

"Much as we are suffering high teenage pregnancy rates we can't be forced into mistakes of giving young girls contraceptives," Kaducu says.

She explains that giving girls contraceptives without empowering them with the right information on how to avoid sex, will lead to problems like HIV.

In Uganda, there is still some resistance to letting young children use condoms and other family planning products like contraceptives because it is believed that the provision of condoms will promote sexual activity.

"It is like giving them the liberty to go and have sex. All we need is comprehensive sexuality education," said Lillian Moru, a resident of Moyo Sub County.

She explained that parents need to communicate with their children before children start to engage in sex.

Abstinence is the only 100 percent effective method to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

At the moment children are being exposed to sexuality much earlier and with greater access to the internet, TV and other information they easily get misled.

"Because of this earlier exposure, it is better that sexual education in school is increased. Parents need to play their part of imparting morals in their children," said Moyo West MP Tom Aza.

Maurice Nyindanyi, the Difule Sub County LC3 chairperson explained that teenage pregnancy is high due to poverty and lack of role models.

"Parents do not have incomes to support these girls who end up getting married when young or sleeping with men who give them small amounts of money," Nyindanyi said.

He also noted that the police and other authorities are soft on perpetrators of defilement which is explains the high teenage pregnancies.

"The majority of the girls who get pregnant are defiled. But in most cases, the culprits are not brought to book which facilitates the escalates the vice.

Access to sexual reproductive health information and services remains a big challenge among adolescents.