Parents' and caretakers' perceptions and concerns about accessibility of antenatal services by pregnant teenagers in Mbarara Municipality, Uganda

摘要

Background: Uganda has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and the world. About a quarter of teenagers become pregnant annually. This is much higher than the global rate of 11%. When a teenager becomes pregnant, caring responsibilities are usually shared between the teenage mother and the baby's grandmother. Previous research has largely focused on the experiences of teenagers, leaving out the parents and caregivers. This paper describes parents and caretakers' perceptions and concerns about accessibility of antenatal services by pregnant teenagers in three divisions of Mbarara Municipality in southwestern Uganda.