1,833 Teenage Pregnancies Reported In A Single Ugandan District In Three Months

The pursuit of education for girls is under threat in the Tororo district of Uganda. High rates of teenage pregnancy contribute majorly to the threat. During a district stakeholder’s dialogue, the data shared was alarming. What was more alarming was the fact that it is believed the numbers recorded are just a fraction of the real numbers of teenage pregnancies.

At least 1,833 girls between the ages of 10 and 19 were reported to have been impregnated in 90 days. National Association of Women Organisation of Uganda held a district stakeholder’s dialogue on June 4 during which the topic of teen pregnancies was discussed. Biostatistician, Ali Mugerwa, presented the alarming data at the meeting.

Speaking on the topic, Mugerwa pointed out that the numbers recorded are much lower than the actual numbers. He said that there is a large number of teenagers who do not have the access to antenatal services from where the data was collected. Due to fear of humiliation, many teens avoided seeking antenatal services, choosing to cover up the pregnancy, Daily Monitor reported.

A large portion of the unreported cases are mostly impregnations caused by rape, Mugerwa believes. In many cases when a teen is impregnated as a result of being defiled by a family member, the incident is hushed up, Peace FM reported. Mugerwa blamed the flawed justice system as well as the parents of the teenagers for their plight. Parents of teenage girls do not report or cooperate with authorities after their daughters have been assaulted by family members.

The program’s officer at the National Association of Women Organization of Uganda, Pauline Nabwire, pointed out that poor parenting coupled with societal evils resulted in the high teen pregnancy rate. Poverty, greed for dowry, peer pressure and traditional values put the teens in a vulnerable position. With families struggling to even provide daily meals for their members, marrying off girls at a young age is prevalent. The families may receive a bride price which acts as an incentive to marry teens off, depriving them of an opportunity to get educated and have a career.

The sub-counties of Melinda, Eastern division of Tororo Municipality, Nagongera, Kirewa, Mukuju and Kwapa reportedly had the highest numbers of teen pregnancies in the district.