Janet Museveni, Uganda’s first lady and education minister, expressed her views on family planning for school-age girls during the National Youth Convention at Kololo Independence Ground on October 13, 2023.
Janet Museveni, who serves as both Uganda’s first lady and education minister, has voiced her concerns about the use of family planning methods among school-going girls. She stressed that contraception is intended for use within families and not for young girls. Speaking at the National Youth Convention held at Kololo Independence Ground, she remarked, “Family planning is for families who want to space their children. Why would any man who sent a child to school support the idea of a child using family planning because they shouldn’t become pregnant?”
Furthermore, she added, “So, they may tell you that you won’t become pregnant, and if you agree, you may not become pregnant. However, if you contract HIV or any other Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), that’s when you will realize that you are taking the wrong path.”
Janet Museveni’s stance aligns with a growing number of government leaders who have rejected a proposal put forth by a health ministry official seeking to introduce birth control methods for girls aged 15 and older. Instead, she encouraged young girls to practice patience, contentment, and abstinence until marriage.
She emphasized, “In Uganda, why would any man take you to Europe and perhaps expose you to HIV along the way? I implore you, young people, to live your lives in the presence of God. Please choose not to defile your bodies, which are the temples of the Holy Spirit.”
Additionally, she advised youths to steer clear of what she referred to as “immoral cultures” that entice young people into unethical actions, addictions, and temptations, typically propagated through peer pressure and media channels, including social media, the internet, and traditional media.
“Dear children, always remember that the practice of daily communion with God, as well as reading God’s words, leads to adopting Christ’s mindset and ultimately results in personal transformation,” she noted during her speech in Kampala on Friday.
