The Aftermath of COVID-19 School Closures in Uganda: Exploring the Willingness of Teenage Mothers to Re-enter Schools

Abstract

The escalation in teenage pregnancies reached unprecedented heights within Africa during COVID-19 school closures. In Uganda, about 2,400 girls became pregnant during the lockdown. While the Revised Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Teenage Pregnancy in School Settings in Uganda (2020) provide a supportive framework to support school re-entry, it is imperative to bolster it using evidence-based interventions. This quantitative survey highlighted the characteristics of girls who became pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, illuminating their willingness to return to school. Multivariable logistic regression models were identified factors associated with school reintegration and data was analysed using STATA Version 15.0. We found that the mean age of sexual debut was 15 years SD1 while the mean age at time of pregnancy was 16 years SD1. A total of 149 (72.7%) willingly engaged in sex while 56 (27.3%) were forced into it. A total of 55 (59.1%) expressed willingness to re-enter school while 38 (40.9%) indicated unwillingness. Age at pregnancy was significantly associated with willingness to re-enter school (adjusted Odds Ratios [AOR 0.56 (0.37) (0.84), p-value = 0.005]. Muslims were five times more likely to re-enter school than Anglicans [AOR 4.64 (1.35,15.95), p-value = 0.015]. Teenage girls in secondary or vocational training levels were four times more likely to re-enter school than those in primary [AOR 3.76 (1.25, 11.34) p-value = 0.018]. We recommend targeted sexual and reproductive health education at very early ages; incorporation of comprehensive sex education in the curriculum; community campaigns during long periods of out-school including to guide teenagers on consequences of early sexual activities and, finally, training programmes to empower parent-child discussions on sex.