Beyond the Day: Making contraception a reality for young people

HEPS-Uganda joined the world to mark World Contraception Day (WCD) on September 26th, rallying under the theme, “Contraceptives: Ensuring Choice, Empowering Communities.” While the national commemoration in Kiboga District was a crucial step – bringing together the Ministry of Health, partners, and community leaders, we at HEPS-Uganda believe it must be more than just a single day on the calendar. It must be a mobilizing moment that sparks sustained, tangible change.

The vision is clear: a Uganda where every pregnancy is planned, and every young person can make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health (SRH).

The national event in Kiboga laid bare the urgent crisis we face. The challenges highlighted by the Ministry of Health Commissioner for Public Health, Dr. Richard Mugahi, and State Minister for primary healthcare, Hon. Margaret Muhanga, are not unique to one district; they are a microcosm of systemic issues across the country.

A staggering 24% of girls in Kiboga are getting pregnant as teenagers, with over 34% engaging in sexual activity before age 18. This is not just a statistic; it is a tragedy that robs young girls of their education, their future, and their health.

Teenage pregnancy, rampant Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and the persistent problem of misconceptions and religious barriers create a hostile environment for comprehensive SRH.

The ability of a young person to access information, services, and commodities like contraceptives—which is the core of comprehensive SRH—is systematically undermined by several barriers. For instance, a teenage mother is highly likely to drop out of school, limiting her future economic potential. This locks her and her child into a cycle of poverty, making it harder for her to afford or even prioritize future SRH services.

A common form of GBV is contraceptive coercion, where a male partner or family member forbids a woman from using family planning, or secretly removes/destroys her methods. If a woman needs a man’s permission to seek care, she does not have true SRH autonomy.

We were deeply honored by the recognition from the Kiboga District Health Officer for our outstanding collaboration and contributions to improving health services. This validates our role as a strong Civil Society Organization (CSO) partner, but the real reward is seeing the direct impact on Ugandans.

During the WCD commemoration, HEPS-Uganda, through our Leave No One Behind (LENOBI) Project, supported vital integrated outreach services that successfully combined immunization with family planning. Why integrate? Because healthcare should be seamless. By bringing essential services together, we remove barriers, save time, and ensure that a mother coming in for a child’s vaccine can also confidentially access a new contraceptive method, like the recently launched Levoplant. This is how we, as a coalition for health promotion, turn policy into practical, equitable access.

To move from an annual event to genuine empowerment, HEPS-Uganda urges all stakeholders – the government, development partners, religious leaders, and the community – to take decisive action. The Ministry of Health and partners secure consistent and adequate funding to ensure an uninterrupted supply of a full range of contraceptives down to the last-mile clinic. No stock-out is acceptable.

We need sustained, creative campaigns to combat misinformation and stigma. SRH education must start early, be comprehensive, and actively involve community elders and religious leaders as champions, not adversaries.

Dedicated youth-friendly centers and services are non-negotiable. We must move beyond adult-centric clinics to spaces where young people feel safe, respected, and judged.

The commemoration of World Contraception Day is a reminder of the promise we make to the next generation of Ugandans. Let us stop allowing a lack of choice to define their future. Let us make every day a day of action for sexual and reproductive health rights.

Read more HEPS-Uganda@25’s opinions on our blog, on our website: www.heps.or.ug

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