Rwanda MPs oppose contraceptives for 15 year olds

A proposal to change a 2016 law to permit girls as young as 15 to receive contraceptives was rejected by the Rwandan parliament.

According to officials, a group of MPs introduced the bill to reduce the 21% increase in teenage pregnancies from more than 19,000 in 2020 to 23,000 last year.

Only people aged 18 and older are legally permitted to obtain services related to sexual and reproductive health, although health advocates and cultural, and religious leaders have discussed decreasing that age requirement.

Aflodis Kagaba, a Rwandan reproductive health campaigner, told the BBC that the bill's rejection prevents "the anticipated adjustments" to the statute that "has holes."

"Unfortunately, this has eclipsed everything else, including the chance to revive these crucial parliamentary discussions, according to Mr. Kagaba.

According to local media, more than 30 MPs who opposed the bill did so for religious, social, and cultural reasons.

However, Mr. Kagaba asserted that the present legislation "had gaps" and that "it still has to be changed."

"Today, minors who seek [sexual and reproductive] health care must have their parents there to obtain their consent!"

This is a substantial hurdle, he declared.