TEENAGE MOTHERS IN UGANDA

The rates of teenage mothers  in Uganda are quite shocking. According to the Ministry of Health, 25 per cent of Ugandan teenagers become pregnant by the age of 19 and continue giving birth up to their mid- 40s  and this is due to the increasing cases of early marriages in Uganda
Every day in developing countries, 20,000 girls underage of 18 give birth leading to high birthrates. When a girl becomes pregnant, her life changes dramatically with higher chances of dropping out of school and her education journey is shattered making her more vulnerable to poverty that forces her to go for marriage.  The situation becomes worse for girls living in low resources settings, characterized by poverty, unbothered parents with restricted access to care, weak health systems, lack of employment and weak social safety leading to the increasing number of teenage mothers in Uganda in spite of the implementation of the available policies and laws especially in Lira district in Northern Uganda.

  Causes of Teenage Pregnancies/ high rates of teenage mothers in Uganda.

Early teenage pregnancies are caused by a number of factors ranging from political, social,
economic and cultural factors.

                          Domestic violence

This includes misunderstandings among parents or even among children with their parents that leaves family members at cross roads and as a result these children are neglected with one to take care of them as parents may divorce if matters are not resolved. This forces girls to look for men to marry them so as that they can be care for leading to the increasing cases of teenage pregnancies in Uganda.

                           Cultural traditions

The cultural traditions among Ugandan families where parents still look at children as sources of income through payment of dowry who may even remind their children to go for marriage that pushes young girls to go in for marriage at an early age hence causing teenage pregnancies in Uganda.

                           Lack of education

Most Ugandan children do not get a chance to go to school due to the high rates of poverty and unemployment among parents that make it difficult for them to raise funds for their children to join school. As a result, when these children reach their adolescent stage they feel they can do anything and some end up going in for marriages and producing at an early age.

                          Peer pressure

Some girls get peer pressure into early sex from the people they associate with and as a result they end up having unprotected sex that leads to unexpected pregnancies leading to teenage pregnancies in Uganda.

                          Lack of family support

The high unemployment and poverty rates in Uganda leave children without their needs and necessities that pushes young girls to the walls of looking for men who care take of them and can provide them with their needs of life. As a result, these men end up having sex with these young girls leaving them pregnant at an early age thus causing teenage pregnancies in Uganda.

                            Sensitization, improved access to information, women empowerment to help in providing needs to the children and provision of sponsorships to young girls in Uganda can cause an impact on the reduction of the increasing rates of teenage mothers.