Griet's trip to Uganda

My MPH (Masters in Public Health) is slowly slowly coming to an end. But before ending it, I have to do a research study in a related field. I am (as the majority of PH professionals) interested in the still growing HIV/AIDS problem, I have an undying love for Africa and have my parents currently living in Uganda... So it became quite fast pretty clear where I would do my research. The one thing that could have caused problems was my pregnancy... would it be to late for me to fly?

Well, I got back about a week ago and I have had an amazing time. Both on professional and personal accounts.

The topic of my research is male condom use among female in-school adolescents. Upon our arrival in Fort Portal, where we conducted the study, everything was organised. The local NGO I was working with had contacted all the schools, we could stay with colleagues of my dad and could use their car. The first day we did all the official visits to District Offices and Municipalities and the second day we could start collecting the data.

Already during the data collection and when going through the questionnaires later on, it became very clear there is a great lack of information and even more misconceptions on condom use, HIV transmission, reproductive health and so on. 18-19 years olds who ask about how their menstrual cycle works, 15-16 years olds who are worried about abstaining from sex because they've been told that if they abstain till 20 or older, they would have problems producing children. Cultural beliefs and misconceptions make the girls believe that using condoms will cause cancer, having sex while standing will prevent them from becoming pregnant or that they can get their virginity back by taking some herbs. Others were told that if they have sex as a virgin, they cannot get HIV nor pregnant.
About 40% doesn't know that mosquito's do not transmit HIV and only less than half knows you cannot get HIV through kissing. About 23% (nearly 1/4th!) believes that semen does not transmit HIV.
A girl asked me "I went for HIV testing 3 times. The first 2 times they told me I was negative, the last time they said I was positive. What does that mean?"

Another major problem in the society are schoolfees. Although president Museveni implemented the Universal Secondary Education (USE) while we were there, still a lot of the students we worked with had paid their schoolfees as the school year had started before the launch of the USE (provision of free secondary education). Because of the risk of rape on the way to and from school, a lot of famlies want to send their girls to boarding schools, which in return are more expensive. Often girls are promised 'gifts' or their schoolfees paid in exchange of sexual intercourse. These men are often a lot older and their HIV status is not known. The girls have no power to deny sex without condoms as they would not get their 'gifts' or schoolfees paid.
One girl asked me "there is a man who wants to have sex with me but he is infected, how can I be protected?"
And I can go on like this forever!

Apart from the research, I also had the opportunity to spend some time with my parents, which was very valuable. We did a lot of talking and catching up on each other lives as well as visiting some nice places like Queen Elisabeth National Park and the Crater Lakes near the Rwenzori mountains.












As the time drew closer for me to leave for Bangkok, I must say, I did get a bit anxious about the flight. Although I did have a medical certificate that it was safe for me to fly, Ethiopian Airlines does have the habit of refusing pregnant women beyond 6 months on the plane. But luckely this did not happen.

Back in Bangkok, I needed to adjust to the overwhelming heat and concrete jungle of roads and bridges. But it felt good to be back.