Teens need more than contraceptives

There is a story reported by this newspaper last week that interested me. Following the burgeoning cases of teen pregnancies in Busoga Sub-region, leaders attending a dialogue meeting to discuss this crisis fronted distribution of contraceptives to all teens, particularly condoms as the most practical measure.

“It is no secret that the girls are now sexually active” one of the proponents argued, “so we should help them to access preventive services”.

 However, it was not clear whether this was unanimously agreed upon by all attendees at the dialogue. This line of thought is not uncommon as it has been fronted on different fora elsewhere.

However, I find it misguiding, misguided and flawed: it raises more questions and gaps than offering lasting solutions. This is why and how. 

I have argued elsewhere that the teen pregnancy crisis presents a much deeper existential problem -- moral decadence as expounded by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s reflections on the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

 Benedict XVI argues that when the modern world began to question sexual norms and consequently brought sexual discourse into the public square, it marked the beginning of the sexual revolution in the Church and world at large.

He reiterated the same position in his essay “The Church and the scandal of sexual abuse” in which he addressed himself to the sexual scandals in the Catholic Church. Going by this, can we say that the looming teen pregnancy crisis is a reflection of sexual morality in our society? How then does distribution of condoms to teenagers (below the age of consent) address this moral refraction from the ideal sexual norms? Contrariwise, this approach is misguided.

Teenagers should tirelessly be advised and guided on the risks of engaging in sexual activity, but even more, the merits of sexual abstinence and the virtue of chastity. Counter-cultural as this message sounds, it is still relevant for the teenagers of this age.

Critical thought on the position taken by leaders at the dialogue renders it misguiding. One can question the message being put across by distributing condoms to teenagers. Are we probably giving teenage sexual misbehaviour a green light by pseudo-accepting it provided that teens use condoms? What then will happen when culprits cannot access freely distributed condoms?

It is very unlikely that considering extra expenditure of Shs1,000 to purchase condoms would be an option for them. Equipping teenagers with adequate cognitive capacity on the subject of sexuality, in my opinion, would empower them to make better decisions regarding their sexual lives. This will necessitate concerted efforts of local authorities, church leaders, civil society, parents and teens themselves.

In light of the cause-effect principle, the strategy of contraceptive use among teenagers as a preventive measure of early pregnancy is flawed. This is because focus is placed on preventing pregnancy (effect) and at the expense of tackling the problem (cause) which is early sexual relations, which should be perceived in the broader perspective of sexual immorality. The crisis of teenage pregnancy is not unique to Uganda as other African countries, including Tanzania and Kenya reported grim statistics of the same during the pandemic.

 It has also been argued elsewhere that teenage pregnancy is an old-age problem in our society that was only exacerbated by the circumstances created by the lockdowns.

As we look forward to school reopening, local authorities and their counterparts within the civil society, cultural and religious hierarchies of leadership should run robust campaigns to encourage and support teenage mothers to resume their education. The people responsible for impregnating teenagers should also be held accountable. Happy New Year 2022!

Augustine Bahemuka, commentator on issues of peace and society. [email protected]