Today, an international family planning conference gets underway in east Africa, where a lack of sexual and reproductive health services is fuelling high rates of HIV infection in young people.
In addition to the high risk of HIV, young women in the region are vulnerable to unintended pregnancies that can seriously affect their health, educational opportunities and life goals.
The third International Conference on Family Planning takes place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 12-15 November and will be attended by thousands of political leaders, experts, researchers and advocates, including Malawian President Joyce Banda.
Sexual health in Uganda
Scovia Asio, 24, now a mother of four, started having children when she was 15. She lives in Soroti municipality, Uganda, where a lack of integrated HIV and sexual and reproductive health services is impacting the spread of HIV and rise in teenage pregnancies.
Scovia was diagnosed as HIV positive three years ago and the father of her children abandoned her upon learning her HIV status. She now fends for herself.
“I felt so bad, I didn’t know that it was HIV until I went to Kichinjaji Health Centre 3 in Soroti and had my blood tested,” said Scovia. “I was advised to go to The Aids Support Organization where I was given counselling, guidance and treatment.”
HIV and family planning
After being diagnosed with HIV, Scovia decided that she did not want to have any more children as a single mother living with HIV.
“My major problem is the children, these children need a lot of support because at times I get bedridden; life becomes very difficult for them. You see where I am staying, this thatched hut leaks whenever it rains,” she said.
Scovia pays 15,000 Ugandan shillings [$6] a month in rent. On top of that, like any other parent, she is required to pay 30,000 shillings [$12] per child per term for her children’s school fees and they are constantly being sent home by the school authorities for defaulting on payment. To earn her living she makes pancakes known locally as‘kabalagala’ which she sells for 100 shillings each [$40].
Scovia is not alone. In Soroti district, the rate of young women living with HIV is increasing. The factors causing this are complex and include women not being allowed to make decisions or have control over economic enterprises and resources, the impact of civil war, economic mismanagement by civil servants, and above all the issue of stigma and other barriers to accessing health services.
HIV and commercial sex
According to Martin Amodoi, the Soroti district focal person for HIV, infection rates are rising partly because of booming commercial sex work in the town.
“The infection rate is high among married couples and boda boda motorcyclists who are the biggest customers for commercial sex,” he said. “From the data that we have collected, we realize that the suburbs of Soroti municipality are the worst hit.”
Tom Akileng, a senior counsellor at Uganda Cares, one of the country’s largest providers of HIV treatment, prevention and support services, says that young people in the Teso sub-region as a whole face a lot of challenges with regard to sexual and reproductive health services because there are no direct programmes which are tailored for young people.
He said: “There is too much stigma among young people living with HIV. They have so many questions like what happens to my menstrual cycle when I am on treatment, will I be able to get pregnant when living with HIV, does the virus attack the cells which produce babies, and can a young person living with HIV start family planning?”
Addressing teenage sexual health needs
Globally more than 2,400 young people become infected with HIV every day and some five million young people aged 15-24 are living with the virus.
Diana Amanyire, a project manager with Marie Stopes International, says that in Uganda the organization is running an initiative with and for young people to address teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and HIV- related issues.
“This initiative that takes on a life cycle approach will address issues right from childhood all through adolescence and adulthood. It involves holding interactive and fun information sessions with young people, orienting them on HIV and AIDS, reproductive health and population issues, as well as referring them to health centres and a hotline for additional information, counselling and services,” she said.
Key Correspondents are reporting live from the International Conference on Family Planning and you can follow us on Twitter: @theKCteam
You can also visit FHI360 for further live blog, video, and social media coverage of key conversations emerging from 2013.
This is a great story. However, in my country there are cases of child bearing as early as 13 years.