Buyende, Uganda: Right to Play Uganda, under the SHARE project consortium, has intensified efforts to create awareness on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) by spearheading community dialogues across Buyende district.
The initiative brings together youths aged 15 to 30 years in open discussions led by health workers and sub-county community development officers (CDOs). The dialogues provide a platform for young people to address issues ranging from menstrual hygiene to teenage pregnancy, HIV prevention, and the influence of drugs and alcohol on sexual decision-making.
Among the topics explored are: actions youth can take to improve menstrual hygiene awareness, myths and misconceptions about menstruation, the role of boys and young men in preventing teenage pregnancies, methods of protecting against unintended pregnancies, and the importance of regular HIV testing.
Despite progress, cultural stigma and myths surrounding menstruation, such as restrictions on girls cooking, climbing trees, or even walking through groundnut gardens while on their periods, remain barriers to proper menstrual health management.
On family planning, many youths expressed concerns about side effects. Noah Walugendo, a youth from Ndudu in Kidera Sub-County, urged health workers to provide tailored guidance before approving family planning methods.
“Family planning is good, but it has its consequences, which are limiting girls and young women from using it. Health workers should first teach us and guide married couples on the most suitable methods for their bodies,” he said.
Community members also raised the need for more condom-use education to complement prevention efforts.
Health workers welcomed the dialogues, stressing collective responsibility.
“Everybody has to wake up and take action about SRHR issues because they affect all of us. We thank Right to Play and urge them to continue with such engagements,” said Mr. Odeke Joseph, a health worker at Kidera Health Centre IV.
Kidera Town Council Mayor, Mr. Tezikuba Patrick, applauded the initiative for shedding light on menstrual hygiene and SRHR challenges that often remain unspoken in rural communities.
Through the project, Right to Play has trained community mentors who are actively sensitizing residents across Kidera, Nkondo, Buyanja, Ndolwa, Buyende, Bukungu Town Council, and Kidera Town Council.
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