Over the years Rwanda has recorded increased numbers of teen pregnancies despite all the efforts the Government of Rwanda and all stake holders in this fight have put into the matter.
On January 25th, 2024, the Minister of youth and arts Dr Utumatwishima Abdallah in a tweet suggested that it’s time for Rwandans to again have talks about allowing teens over 15 years of age to use contraceptives, in effort to fight against teen pregnancy, which has been increasing of the years.
Dr Utumatwishima said that after hosting 20 years old people from Amsterdam who looked good despite that they are given contraceptives at an age as early as 15, it was time for us Rwandans to have the debate around the subject and see a way to adopt it.
over approximately a whole week now, debates have been increasing around the subject on social media platforms, mainly X(former twitter), where different personalities expressed different emotions, parents, young adults, and different people had ideas on the matter.
Sadate Munyakazi, a Rwandan influencer and parent wrote an open letter to the Minister, Dr Utumatwishima Abdallah, in which he highlights what he thinks would be effects of availing contraceptives to children of 15 years of age both to the individuals and the society at large.
In a space which took place on the 30th January, which was attended by different personalities fit to comment on the matter, Dr Evode Niyibizi, an adolescents & youth SRHR said that people get sexually active at a young age like twelve or thirteen years. referring to a recent study, he says that at least 840,000 in Rwanda have sex at the age between twelve and nineteen, mostly without enough information about sex life.
Regarding contraceptives, Dr Niyibizi says that children in debate lack access to information, access to contraceptives themselves, and states the law as a barrier as well.
Charity Keza, a Rwandan parent who happens to live in the United States of America says that contraceptives should have been introduced to children under 15 a long time ago.
“I want people to understand that making contraceptives to young people doesn’t make it an obligation for them to use them, but an available rescue when they are needed.”, she said.
Dr Nsengiyumva Athanase, a psychologist, in a space said that teen pregnancy takes a toll on the young mothers, but especially those who undergo abortion as a resolution to the pregnancy.
4 years ago in a press conference, President Kagame reacted on this particular issue. he said that he believes giving contraceptives to these children is not the best way to go around it, in a sense that it feels like giving them a green flag to have sex, hoping contraceptives will be at their rescue. however, he said that Rwandans should keep talking about it and find a solution together.
In the last six months of 2022, Rwanda recorded 13,000 pregnancies of girls under the age of 19, despite all the efforts and campaigns by the Ministry of Health, Rwanda Biomedical Center, Ministry of gender and family promotion and other stake holders.
