Teach your children sexual reproductive health, EALA MP tells parents
A section of students pose with Ms Jackline Amongin while holding placards after the dialogue at Makerere University in Kampala on October 28, 2024. Photo/Taaka Wandera
What you need to know:
- Many young people have limited access to accurate information on sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, and their rights, leaving them vulnerable to preventable issues.
Uganda’s legislator in the East African Legislative Assembly, Ms Jackline Amongin has asked parents to always educate their children on issues of Sexual Reproductive Health.
While addressing the audience at the Inter-University Dialogue at Makerere University on October 28, Ms Amongin asked parents to seriously take on the responsibility of educating their children on sexual health matters.
Parents, she said, are in the best position to provide their children with accurate, effective information. She noted that many young people have limited access to accurate information on sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, and their rights, leaving them vulnerable to preventable issues.
“I mentor children in my community whenever I have the time, and through this, I’ve noticed that adolescents often avoid discussing sexual issues out of fear. Parents, too, are often too shy to initiate these conversations. However, if you don’t talk to your children about these matters, someone else will—and that could shape their future choices,” she said.
The legislator also pointed out that many parents send their children to university without equipping them with information on sexual and reproductive health, assuming they’ll remain abstinent until after graduation. In many cases, however, students turn to peers or the internet for guidance, which can lead to misinformation and risky decisions.
The Inter-University Dialogue, organized by Reproductive Health Uganda in partnership with Own Your Future, Power to Youth, and the Ministry of Health, aims to educate young people—specifically university students—on sexual and reproductive health matters.
The event brought together students from various universities, as well as policymakers from the Ministries of Education, Health, and Gender, Labour, and Social Development. Under the theme "Promoting Young People’s Sexual Health: Leveraging the Digital Space," the Dialogue focused on how digital platforms can be used to provide youth with accurate information and services related to sexual health and reproductive health.
“Preliminary results from the 2024 national population and housing census show that young people make up 78 percent of our total population. Despite being the majority, they face significant challenges related to sexual and reproductive health, including high rates of teenage pregnancy, HIV, cervical cancer, gender-based violence, and limited access to essential services,” said Peter Mark Mutebi, Director of Finance at Reproductive Health Uganda.
He added “As we work to address these challenges, we recognize the potential of technological innovations to transform how these services are delivered to young people.”
Mutebi highlighted the digital space as an ideal platform for creating awareness, as young people are highly active on social media.
“Young people should be able to access platforms like Wekume, telemedicine services, and interactive chatbots to receive timely, private, and tailored sexual and reproductive health services. Through dialogues like this, we can hold all stakeholders accountable for building youth-responsive systems. Additionally, we aim to strengthen partnerships across sectors, from research to policy-making and advocacy, fostering a resilient network that meets the real needs of our youth,” he added.
