Anyira Teenage Rescue Foundation

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FAMILY PLANNING OUTREACH

Family Planning (FP) is one of the pillars of Safe motherhood and its utilization is one of the key Reproductive maternal health indicators in Uganda. However, from the Uganda Demographic Health survey report (UDHS 2022), the contraceptive prevalence rate in Uganda is low at 38%, this is even lower in Acholi Subregion despite the high fertility rates of 5.2. The unmet need for Family planning in Acholi remains the highest in Uganda, at 35% compared to 24% at national level. This has partly resulted into the high burden of teenage pregnancy in the region at 25%) given that 58.4% of girls aged 20 years had had their sexual debut by 18 years (UDHS 2022).

Despite the Ministry of Health Efforts to provide Family Planning commodities, utilization of these services has remained low. Research reveals that several barriers have contributed to the low utilization and high unmet need for Family planning in Uganda. These factors are; cultural and societal pressures on women, limited geographical access to FP clinics (Haider, T. L., & Sharma, M. (2013), low education level of the woman and knowledge gap on family planning and its side effects; and lack of spousal communication (Sileo, K. M., Wanyenze, R. K., Lule, H., & Kiene, S. M. (2015). Skills gap among health providers on administration of the long-term methods also hinders access at facility level.

Anecdotal data from maternity centers in the region reveals that there are women especially from rural areas who have had more than 6 children. Such occurrence in a household with low income, given that 20.3% of Ugandans are living below the poverty line has perpetuated physical violence against women and children. Physical violence results from limited or no access to social services such as education and food according to research done in Kisenyi, Uganda (Aadan Jama, 2019). Spousal violence was found to be made worse by substance abuse at 84% among men who are often drunk compared to 44% for those who do not drink alcohol. (UDHS 2022).es etc.

This planned project therefore aims at increasing utilization of FP services through community sensitization and timely linkage of women and girls with reproductive health problems to essential and specialized gynecological services. Empowering teenagers in and out of school to make safe reproductive health choices to combat teenage pregnancy and other reproductive health challenges such as gender-based violence.

Anyira teenage rescue foundation has so far had two major family planning community outreaches ; one in Amuru District and another in Gulu city. A total of 481 community members (431 female and 50 male) attended the outreaches.

The team had a dialogue on: what family planning really is and how the community understands it, the myths and misconceptions surrounding the use of family planning commodities, the advantages and side effects of using the different family planning methods and commoditi

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