Roles of religious leaders in promoting adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights

Abstract

Introduction: Young people in their adolescent stage are very vulnerable and the sexual and reproductive health choices they make as they transition from childhood to adulthood determine a lot about their well-being and the development of the nation at large. The roles that religious leaders play influence the decisions and choices that adolescents make. This impacts on their wellbeing. Objectives: The study was guided by four objectives namely, (i) to examine the perception and attitude of religious leaders towards promotion of adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights; (ii) to examine the influence of leadership of religious leaders in the promotion of adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights; (iii) to establish the impact of dialogue with religious leaders in the promotion of adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights as well as (iv) to ascertain the effect of information sharing by religious leaders in the promotion of adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights in Iganga Municipality in Iganga district. Methodology: A purely qualitative phenomenology research design was adopted. A sample of 30 participants (25 religious leaders and 5 adolescents) from different religious denominations were interviewed. Data was collected qualitatively using in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Guides. Data was transcribed, coded and eventually analysed using the thematic content analysis. Results: The findings generally revealed that religious leaders through spiritual healing greatly contribute to promotion of adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights. Specifically, the results indicated that; religious leaders perceive the promotion of ASRHR to imply elevation of sexual immorality. Religious leaders had both protective and preventive influence in the promotion of ASRHR. Dialogues with religious leaders enhanced awareness about ASRHR and there is a strong inference between religiosity and adolescents’ attitudes and behaviours towards adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights.