I spent a week in Uganda reporting on women's health - here's everything I learned

Advertisement

Uganda family planning

Lisa Ryan/INSIDER

I traveled to Uganda to learn about women's health. Here I am with a midwife in Luweero.

A lack of access to birth control and maternal health services is a major issue that affects many women all over the world, including Uganda.

Advertisement

Over the past 20 years, contraceptive use in Uganda has increased from approximately 11% to 30%. Yet, women are still faced with major barriers to family planning, including misinformation that birth control causes cancer and increases promiscuity.

I traveled to Uganda as a fellow of the UN Foundation for a week in August.

As part of the fellowship, I traveled to clinics in rural villages, stopped by outreach efforts in slum areas, met with sex workers, and spoke with women about birth control, pregnancy and delivery, and marriage.

Here's what I learned about women's health in Uganda.

Advertisement