Reproductive Health Uganda to teach sex education in Ugandan universities

In a bid to reduce the rate of unprotected sex and unsafe abortion by university students, Reproductive Health Uganda is set to carry out sex education at all universities in Uganda in 2015.

The initiative is aimed at empowering university students to change their attitude about unsafe sex and reduce HIV infection rates.

“We will use universities to advance young people’s sexual reproductive health rights and ensure increased access to quality sexuality education programmes,” the youth officer at Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), Alex Kiwanuka said.

He added that RHU found out that the rate of unprotected sex, unsafe abortion and myths about contraceptives at universities is too high despite the availability of health facilities.

According to Kiwanuka, close to 800,000 abortions are carried out annually and 50 per cent are done by the youth.

A report released by the Ministry of Health in November 2013 showed that a total of 292,000 abortions are carried out annually in Uganda. Making an estimate of 800 abortions daily.

What the law says about abortion:

The Uganda Penal Code Act on abortion says, “A woman who procures an abortion on herself is liable to imprisonment of seven years.” It further states that any person who supplies drugs to procure an abortion faces three years imprisonment upon conviction in courts of law. The Law also prescribes a life sentence for killing an unborn child.

Related Stories:

‘Ugandan women needlessly dying from unsafe abortion‘ By The Independent

The Price of Abortion Restrictions in Uganda