“The fact is contraceptives can be harmful, especially to young, developing bodies. Numerous studies demonstrate that encouraging young people to use contraceptives encourages them to engage in risky behaviour as they believe that they are protected. It's a risky gamble with the health and futures of our girls,” they say.
In place of contraceptives, CitizenGo officials say Uganda’s government needs to champion abstinence among teenagers.
Abstinence “will ensure their safety and protect them from premature sexual activities and unnecessary health complications,” they say.
The activists have appealed for signatures to stop the Ugandan government’s proposal saying, “Sign our petition calling the Minister of Health in Uganda, Dr Ruth Aceng, to withdraw this harmful proposal immediately.”
“If our petition is successful, the proposal is withdrawn, and we've protected our girls from harm. The future can be bright, but only if we act now,” they say.
The MoH proposal has received criticism from a section of lawmakers in the East African nation.
Lucy Akello, a member of parliament (MP) representing Amuru, a town in northern Uganda has questioned the motive behind the proposed policy, asking, “Have you done a study to find out the implications of contraceptives on young girls who have not given birth? Can you assure us that our children are safe with this policy?”
On his part, Uganda Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, has described the proposal as evil, adding that the policy would formalize defilement and have severe health complications for the girls.
“The devil should not find a way and such thoughts should never come in the minds of our people because it is giving up. That is formalizing defilement,” said Tayebwa.
Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.
