Carol Natukunda
3 December 2007
Kampala — UGANDA faces the challenge of dealing with cross-generational sex among children living with HIV, James Kinobe, the youth and children affairs minister, has said.
Cross-generational sex means a sexual relationship between a young girl and a much older man, with an age difference of 10 years or more.
"In the past, children born with HIV used to die before one or two years. Now, they live longer. As they grow up, they start dating.
He warned against a tendency by men to rush for young girls living with HIV, thinking that they are negative.
"Even when these children tell them the truth, they do not believe it. This will bring a new dimension of infection," Kinobe said yesterday.
He made the remarks at the opening of the annual meeting for the Eastern Africa reproductive health network at Hotel Africana in Kampala.
The meeting aimed at reviewing the region's achievements over the last five years.
Political commitment was needed to ensure sustained funding and solutions to maternal mortality rates, low contraceptive usage, unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections, Kinobe added.
Earlier, the United Nation's Population Fund acting country representative said the majority of the population had no access to contraceptive methods.
"Uganda's fertility rate of 6.7% is the highest in the region. The request for family planning is at 41%, meaning that there is no service out there," Dr. Hassa Mohtashami said.
He observed that while there was evidence that a huge population could help in economic growth, the country's demographics needed to be given particular attention. Dr. Hassa Mohtashami said.
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