BY. HASIFAH NAMULI
Despite the fact that Uganda is committed to scaling up the use of modern family planning methods, teenage mothers and young women in Uganda still face a challenge of accessing full family planning services as a result of limitations associated with stigma.
According to the 2020 Uganda family planning report, Uganda’s total fertility, maternal mortality, and teenage pregnancy rates remain among the highest globally.
In 2017 Uganda revised its original commitment of 2012 to reduce the unmet need among adolescents from 30.4% in 2016 to 25% in 2021.
By improving the number of health structures in hard-to-reach places, the Government of Uganda strives to expand its reach and provision of services and method mix, including long acting, reversible, and permanent methods.
It’s estimated that these commitments will contribute to the nation’s ambitious goal to reduce unmet need for family planning to 10% and increase the modern contraceptive prevalence rate to 50% by 2020.
However, despite the commitment of ensuring that every Ugandan woman can choose when and how many children to have, young women face unique barriers as they can be inhibited from seeking family planning services by stigma and negative staff attitudes.
Nalubega Zainab a nineteen year old mother of one with another on the way says that she will not bother with seeking antenatal services this time round following the unfriendly reception she received during her first antenatal visit at Kyanamugera health center II in Mityana town council, Mityana district.
“I was very unconfutable when the woman kept staring at me as if I had soiled myself as I waited in the que.” She says.
She says the nurses kept on making very mean comments through the entire process because she was seventeen at the time thus an underage.
“I will never go back for antenatal services because those women can be too judgmental.” She adds.
Nalubega, who vows never to visit any health facility for antenatal or family planning services in fear of being stigmatized for having babies at an early age says there is need for the health ministry officials to set up special units or health centers for underage mothers to facilitate for their needs and easy access of services.
Meanwhile Nakalalue Viola as 16 year old is expecting her first child but fears to go for antenatal services despite being almost halfway through the pregnancy and considered a high risk mother.
Nakalule who still stays with her grandmother at Kiganda village, Kassanda district says her nearest health center is Nakiganda health center II just less than a kilometer away from her home fears that the mean health workers will scold her for having conceived at such an early age.
“I have faced enough stigma with my school peers, I am not about to face more judgmental people. The traditional birth attendant will help deliver my baby.” She adds.
More than 70% of the population of rural women in Uganda try to visit health centers for antenatal and family planning health services but due to poor facilities and a lack of equipment and materials in hospitals as well as stigmatization, they end up failing to get the services.
Now, Sister Teopista Nankya as a nursing assistant says they ought to step in sensitizing young women about family planning services if they are to meet government targets but also calls on government to invest more in sensitizing these young women through the mass media and provision of service centers at the grass roots.
She says those that give a negative reception to the young ladies may also need refresher courses and guidance.
She re affirms that their role is to encourage a positive attitude toward family planning, lead group discussions, facilitate communication and answer questions, prepare the client for examination, and clarify on the instructions and most importantly feedback or follow up.
