Improving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health through a Participatory Parent-Child Communication Intervention in Uganda

Uganda has a very young population and its sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes - including teenage pregnancies and HIV prevalence - remain among the poorest worldwide. While the role of parents in SRH education is key, they lack communication skills amidst cultural norms which do not provide for preventive messages regarding risky sexual behaviours. The aim of the project is to improve young adolescents' access to comprehensive SRH information by improving communication capabilities of parents/guardians in rural areas. Considering the cultural sensitivity, the project employs a community-based participatory research process to develop, implement and evaluate a culturally sensitive and scientifically accurate parent-adolescent communication intervention based on formative research and literature. Furthermore, an interdisciplinary research centre (both physical and virtual) on young adolescents SRH will be established at Mbarara University. The study is guided by a Community Advisory Board and will recruit two PhD students to work on the project.