Higher risk sexual practices are common in Eastern Uganda. Bugiri is one of the districts which have the highest fertility rates in Uganda, which is a pointer to unsafe sex, because in Uganda’s situation, pregnancy is one of the most objective indicators of unsafe sexual practices. The total fertility rate in Bugiri is 7.2 per woman (Bugiri District Population and development indicators (http://bugiri.go.ug)) compared to 6.7 nationally.
Additionally, only 16.9% of women use a modern method of family planning compared to 18.6 years for Uganda generally, and the unmet need for family planning is 43.5% compared to 40.6% nationally (Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and Macro International Inc. 2007. Uganda Demographic and Health survey 2006.Calverton, Maryland, USA: UBOS and macro international Inc). Moreover, only 21.3% of women and 18.6% of men have ever tested for HIV.
The population of Bugiri has been steadily increasing over the years with a growth rate of 4.7 %(http://bugiri.go.ug). This is above the national average of 3.24% between 2005 and 2010 (United Nations World Population Prospects: 2006 revision).
Moreover, this particular age group has hitherto been relatively underserved with anti HIV/AIDS messages. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Bugiri is over 7%. This figure is above the national prevalence of 6.4% (http://www.isis.or.ug/about-us/126-isis-wicce-to-contribute-in-advancing-the-rights-and-basic-needs-of-women-living-with-hivaids-in-uganda).
