The Sexual Health of Adolescents in Uganda: When Restricting Sexual and Reproductive Health Programs Is All About Girls. In The Routledge Companion to Girls' Studies. Routledge. pp. 350-362, .eBook ISBN 9780367821890

Abstract

Young people in Uganda face significant health challenges when navigating through the second decade of life. These may lead to increased morbidity or mortality in the short term or chronic health conditions in adulthood. Particularly, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges such as high teenage pregnancy rates and HIV/AIDS not only contribute to high mortality rates among young women but also have long-term consequences on their social and economic outcomes such as dropping out of school and early marriage or parenting if not properly addressed. Several interventions have been instituted at the national level, yet implementation of such policies remains difficult. In this chapter, we share a brief summary of the SRH challenges adolescents face, their social and policy contexts, and case studies on learnings from interventions at the school and community levels that have been successfully implemented. We shed light on the unequal repercussions faced by girls due to the prevailing focus of SRH programs. With a predominant emphasis on reactive measures, these programs aim to counteract the negative consequences that disproportionately affect girls. By examining the gendered aspects of SRH initiatives, this research seeks to uncover the specific challenges Ugandan girls experience and explore strategies for mitigating their adverse SRH outcomes.