Ugandans Support Sex Education in Schools but Oppose Contraceptives for Youth

11 December 2024
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Joseph Makanga and John Martin Kewaza

Most say police and courts need to do more to protect girls and women from discrimination and harassment.

Key findings

  • Six in 10 Ugandans (60%) support the inclusion of sexuality education in school curricula. o This support is fairly consistent across different religious groups and ranges from 48% in the Eastern Region to 74% in the North.
  • A majority (60%) of citizens oppose making contraceptives accessible to all sexually active individuals regardless of age. o Muslims (32%) and members of Pentecostal churches (33%) are less supportive of universal access to contraceptives than members of other Christian churches (38%-40%). o Regionally, support is highest in the Western Region (47%) and lowest in the Central Region (27%).
  • Large majorities say that girls and women should decide for themselves whether and when to get married (78%) and that pregnant girls and teenage mothers should be allowed to continue their schooling (84%).
  • More than a third (35%) of Ugandans say girls "often" or "always" face discrimination or sexual harassment in schools, while 30% say women frequently experience sexual harassment in public spaces such as markets and public transport.
  • More than three-fourths (78%) of Ugandans say the police and courts need to do more to protect girls and women from discrimination and harassment in schools, workplaces, and other public spaces.

Adolescent sexual and reproductive health remains a major public health challenge in Africa. Comprehensive sexuality education "about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality" has been hailed as a key strategy to inform young people about sexual health and well-being and to prevent adverse health outcomes (UNESCO, 2018, p. 16). But its implementation on the continent often encounters challenges or falters due to a lack of political will (Wangamati, 2020).

In Uganda, the Ministry of Education and Sports, supported by the United Nations Population Fund (2018), drew up national guidelines for age-appropriate and culturally sensitive sexuality education, but they faced heated opposition from religious groups (Moore, Hirsch, Spindler, Nalugoda, & Santelli, 2021). Issues under contention included the age at which sexuality education should be introduced and the curriculum content (Daily Monitor, 2021). Similarly, in 2023, the Ministry of Health proposed that the eligibility age for accessing contraceptives be dropped from 18 to 15 years, but Parliament voted the proposal down (Muia, 2023). Although some form of sex education is reportedly offered in some schools (Initiative for Social and Economic Rights, 2024), comprehensive sexuality education is yet to be integrated into the national school curriculum (Obeagu & Obeagu, 2024).

Uganda has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in East Africa, at 25% (Government of Uganda, 2022). The 2016 Demographic and Health Survey found that one-fifth of all girls were forced to engage in sexual activity before the age of 15, and nearly two-thirds had had sex before turning 18 (Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2018).

From a health and wellness perspective, these data are concerning. Young mothers face increased health risks due to their age and, in many cases, a lack of access to proper health care during pregnancy and childbirth. About one in six maternal deaths occur among adolescents aged 15-19 (United Nations Population Fund, 2021).

Sexual violence and sexual harassment are also major problems in Uganda, affecting girls and women across age groups and settings. More than one in five women aged 15-49 report having experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives (Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2018). Fear of harassment and abuse is part of many women's daily realities, even in high profile locales like Parliament, yet these incidents are often disregarded (Ssenkaaba, 2020).

Findings from the most recent Afrobarometer survey show that a majority of Ugandans support the inclusion of sex education in school curricula. Support for sex education is fairly consistent across different religious groups. However, few Ugandans agree that contraceptives should be made available to everyone who is sexually active regardless of age.

Findings further reveal a pervasive threat to the safety and dignity of women and girls in Uganda, with significant proportions of respondents reporting that female students often face discrimination, harassment, or requests for sexual favours from teachers and that women frequently suffer sexual harassment in public spaces. A large majority of Ugandans say the police and courts should do more to protect girls and women from these threats.

Joseph Makanga Joseph Makanga is a research associate for Hatchile Consult in Uganda.

John Kewaza John Martin Kewaza is a researcher for Hatchile Consult.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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