VULNERABLE TEENAGERS AND SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN UGANDA

VULNERABLE TEENAGERS AND SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN UGANDA

Sexual and reproductive health is defined as a person’s right to a healthy body and autonomy, education and healthcare to voluntarily choose with whom to have sexual intercourse with and how to avoid sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy.  Sexual health is an integral part of overall health and well-being, ensuring everyone can have pleasurable and safe sex experiences, no coercion, segregation or health issues.

Vulnerable teenagers are frequently reluctant to seek sexual and reproductive health services. In Uganda, teenage health and development is limited by translation of the vital policies to carryout. Recent studies emphasized that in central Uganda, there is need for a critical evaluation of teenage friendly services to gain insights on current practices and inform future interventions

The damaging effects of child bearing at a young age pose health threats to both the teenage mother and her baby. Teenage sexual activity, within or outside of marriage, can result into negative reproductive health outcomes. Presence of sexual and reproductive health services encourage vulnerable teenage girls to exercise this right. It can appear as medical care related to the reproductive system, for example, to treat a sexually transmitted infection or facilitation of reproductive autonomy with the provision of a contraception and abortion care.

Vulnerable teenagers are quite explicit about their wants from health-care providers. They value their privacy and identity, and want to make decisions for themselves based on accurate data. WHO stipulates a number of factors that stimulate teenagers to seek healthcare. These elements include: confidentiality, provision of required information and services, accepting adolescents as they are, considering and respecting teenagers’ opinions, allowing them to make their own decisions, ensuring that they feel welcome and comfortable, being non-judgmental, and provision of services at a time that these vulnerable teens are able to come in. In Uganda, girls become sexually active earlier than boys. In 2011, the median age of first sexual relationship for women aged 25 to 49 years was 16.8 years compared with 18.6 years for men.

 

                                                                           Issues pertaining from sexual reproduction;

Vulnerable teenagers in and out of school describe multiple issues concerning their sexual and reproductive health needs. The most important health problems expressed are HIV/Aids, STIs, unwanted pregnancies, sexual advances for the vulnerable females from adult males and fellow male teens, defilement and rape and the use of alcohol and other substances.

Difficulty to access medical help at the health facility due to limited empathy and privacy of some health workers. One could go with  friends and not want for them to know what  disease [STI] is bothering them. Then as explanations are made to the health worker calmly, some of them bark saying “speak louder.” If the patient is scared of speaking loudly, this leaves the vulnerable teenager too ashamed with no assistance attained.

Less patients of the same age group consulting the health facilities, non flexible opening and closing hours of the medical centers, lack of necessary drugs for STIs and other Sexual reproductive problems, few health professionals yet vulnerable teenagers fear to open up to health workers of the opposite sex, and mistrusting of the health workers are among the piles of issues Kayden Foundation is urger to rectify in our under impoverished communities through our outreach programs and donations from our beloved family of well wishers.

 

                                                                                    Access to contraceptive services

Access to contraception is a central component of sexual and reproductive healthcare. Contraception grants people control over their reproductive system with the ability to decide if, or when they would like to become pregnant.

Kayden Foundation through their outreaches and medical professionals, offer a choice of contraception methods, sexual and reproductive healthcare to guide and make informed decisions about their fertility for vulnerable teenagers. By choosing an IUD, for example, a vulnerable teenager can prevent pregnancy for up to 12 years or by opting for a barrier method such as condoms which prevent pregnancy for a shorter period as well as protect against sexually transmitted infections.

Vulnerable teenager’s ability to choose if or when to become pregnant can have a far-reaching impact on their ability to make other life decisions. With reproductive choice, vulnerable teenagers can determine their own futures, whether that’s choosing to stay in education or pursue their respective careers.

Regardless, not everyone who wants contraceptivies is able to get them. Currently, across low- and middle-income countries, there are 218 million people with an unmet need for contraceptivies. This lack of access is having a detrimental impact on lives and futures. For example, MSI’s analysis found that yearly, across sub-Saharan Africa, up to 4 million girls drop out of school or are excluded due to teenage pregnancy. Universal access to contraceptivies can therefore, not only advance people’s sexual and reproductive health, but also aid reverse one of the main perpetuators of inequality: girls’ lack of access to education.

 

In conclusion, through Kayden Foundation Uganda, vulnerable teenagers in Uganda attain multiple sexual and reproductive health needs that require special insight through teenage friendly services.  It calls for resource support in terms of health provider training, sexual education and communication materials as well as involvement of key stakeholders such as parents, teachers and legislators