The Government of Rwanda is currently revising a law that could see the age at which one can legally access family planning methods lowered from 18 to 15 years.
According to Rwandan law, every person having attained the maturity age has the right to decide for oneself in relation to human reproductive health issues.
It also states that a health professional who intends to provide healthcare services to a minor or an incapable person must endeavour to inform his/her parents or guardians and obtain their prior consent.
For now, the maturity age is 18 years and anyone below that age is considered a minor.
However, a draft bill seen by the local daily in that country, the New Times seeks to modify the law establishing medical professional liability insurance giving teenagers aged 15 and above the right to seek family planning methods without any restrictions.
“Every person having attained the age of fifteen (15) years has the right to decide for oneself in relation to human reproductive health. The consent of the parent or guardian will be only required for incapables persons,” it reads in part.
The development comes almost one year after Prime Minister Eduoard Ngirente openly admitted to members of the Senate that the Government was cognisant of the limits that the current law puts on teenagers, some of which he said could be blamed for the surge in the number of teenage pregnancies in the country.
Studio shot of two women comparing contraception against a turquoise background./Getty Images
He acknowledged that it did not make sense to ask teachers to educate young adults about reproductive health and safe sex methods when the methods are inaccessible.
“Yes young adults below 18 are required to go with their parents to access contraceptives yet these are the most vulnerable when it comes to unwanted pregnancies. I would like to tell you that we are changing that because we found it inconveniencing,” he said.
