Reach A Hand using peer educators to fight abortion among the youth in western Uganda
Access to contraceptive methods in rural parts of Uganda is still a pipe dream for many young women.
Women in these areas are quite often left with no option to manage challenges that come with lack of such services.
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The situation is however worse when it comes to the young adults that are assumed not to be indulging in sex yet they are.
This often leads to early and unwanted pregnancies.
Early or unwanted pregnancies among the young adults often times lead to abortions many of which are unsafe.
This could be partly because the act is illegal in Uganda. Debate to legalise the act still rages on.
Yet with the cases of post abortion care rising, many young adults are afraid of opening up about the issue.
Reach A Hand, a non-governmental organisation, is now leveraging more on the use of peer educators through the U Decide Project to educate young women about the dangers of abortion in Western Uganda.
The use of peer educators has also helped young adults to easily access family planning methods.
"We go to health facilities but as young people we fear asking for condoms because there are older people," said one of the youth.
But while the challenge of access to services for the youth is being handled, the situation is not any better for the adults.
A lady told The Nile Post that she encountered a hard time looking for an injectable family planning method.
"I couldn't find one so I just have to continue giving birth. Now I have many children. You find nothing at the facility. No pills, injections, that's how we get unplanned pregnancies. Even for the condoms that are sometimes available, you take them home and the men refuse to use them," she said.
Residents in Rwampara have to walk long distances to access such services, which services are never available.
According to the World Health Organisation and ministry of Health, HIV prevalence among young girls and young women aged 15-24 is said to be four times higher than that of men of the same age.
