The rate at which girls get impregnated at an early age has continuously worried the society but the researchers say that it is due to the young men.
The two decades intervention seems not to yield enough solutions according to researcher Dr Mirembe Damali who says that twenty years down the road the 25% .
” From 2006 the government under the ministry of health, stakeholders have been trying to curb the rate at which girls get impregnated but all in vein, next year we are going to be making 20 years trying to bring the percentage down” Says Dr Mirembe.
The researchers have disclosed that young men are much more responsible for the high early pregnancy among girls and so it is time to bring young men on board.
Doctor Mirembe says they are now exploring the options these young men who range from 15 years to 24 have in the fight against teenage pregnancy.
Doctor Mirembe Damali from MUHJU has sited a number of factors that lead to early pregnancies like young men have some money to send on girls, others are influenced by alcoholic drinks and drugs, peer influence among others, all these lour girls into sex.
She adds that the research shows that 73% of the boys who had children already played a vital role to forces their colleagues to impregnate girls hence leading to escalating of teenage pregnancies in the country.
Dr further explains the research findings that 71% of the young men who knew about condoms as means of family planning were at lower rate of impregnating girls while those who knew about contraseptives and pills were 41% more likely to impregnate the teenage girls hence the study shows that they do not know how to use these contraseptives.
Doctor says that the above is brought about men not having knowledge on the usage of the contraseptives, they dont know the consistance, not sure of the accessibility which ends up being used in an improper way hence escalating teenage pregnancy.
Morrish Okello Obol presented during the 11th Annual Adolescent health conference in Kampala gave a vivid example that in the
Northern region it becomes hard to even
youth having access to health centers because they fear disclosing information so they do what they feel is right.
” There is also some myths the society has created like contraseptives refrain people from giving birth, others are responsible for the disabilities in children hence driving the youth away from using them” affirms Okello.
Dr. Sabrina Kitaka-President SAHU
Dr Melissa Stockwell professor of pediatric and Population chief, division of child and adolescent as well as vice chair department of pediatric from Colombia adds that there is need for a keen eye to the adolescents because right now they are facing long Covid
effects therefore parents, teachers, health workers should be involved in helping the yoith overcome these long term Covid effects before they carryout negative and regretfull decisions in life.
While speaking during the health scientific conference, the President of the Society of Adolescent Health (SAHU) in Uganda Dr Sabrina Kitaka emphasized the issue of being inclusive for the good of the Society.
Dr.Mellisa Stockwell of Pediatric
” We should stop the song of 1 out of every 4 girls gets pregnant before the age of 18 so we should shift the idiology of older men being responsible for these pregnancies and now it is time to focus on the young boys since research has pin pointed themout according to Doctor Mirembe’s presentation. These boys it is stated that they are under influence so there is need to talk to them if we are to reverse the situation” Dr Kitaka emphasizes.
Dr Kitaka says that this 11th conference is not just about knowing and understanding different presentations but knowing that we can support the adolescents.
She applouds evey participant in the conference for bing a village that raises and nurtures the future generations, and she has asked all the parents to take a pivotal role of raising, giving proper information and care for the children.
Dr Allan Kasozi a senior medical officer in the department of reproductive and child health in the division of adoloscents and school health in the Ministry of Health commends the work of researchers, academia and other stakeholders in health and well-being of adolescents that is critical evidence needed to adoloscents health care.
He says that as ministry of health they have endavoured to make health centers friendly to the adoloscents through out the country but where there is need for improvement they will and called upon the ministry of ICT to regulate the use of social media because it is one of the leading cause it is a major key factor of teenage pregnancies escalating.
Chipo Brenda