Digital health technologies and the realization of sexual reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls in Uganda

Abstract

Background By definition, digital technologies are ‘electronic tools, systems, devices and resources that generate, store or process data’. Digital health is ‘Electronic tools, systems, devices and resources that generate, store or process data’.(Victoria State University, 2019) Digital health includes mobile health apps(mhealth), electronic health records(EHRs), electronic medical records (EMRs), wearable devices, telehealth, and telemedicine.` Sexual reproductive rights are enshrined in Article 14 of the Protocol to the African Charter on human and peoples` rights on the rights of women in Africa. Encompassed within these rights is the right to access correct information and services for all women. Digital technologies can be a potential avenue for the improvement of access to these services and the realization of these rights. However, digital technologies do not exist in a vacuum. There are a number of considerations that come into play when discussing whether they are a catalyst or risk to the full realization of adolescent girls` sexual reproductive health rights.

Research aims and questions This research sought to find out the role that digital health technologies can play in supporting girls` exercise of their SRHR rights in Uganda. The study picked lessons from various mhealth apps being used in Uganda to improve SRHR in Uganda.

The aim of this research was to understand the role that digital health technologies can play in supporting girls` exercise of their SRHR in Uganda: 1. To identify how adolescent girls (12 to 17 years) use digital technologies in their exercise of their sexual reproductive health rights in Uganda. 2. To identify barriers in the utilization of digital health for adolescent girls` (12 to 17 years) in the exercise of their sexual reproductive health rights in Uganda 3. To understand the legal and policy environment around the use of digital technologies to improve access to sexual reproductive health information and services for adolescents (12 to 17 years) in Uganda.

The main research question was: What is the potential role of digital technologies in improving girls` exercise of their sexual reproductive health rights in Uganda? The sub questions were as follows; 1. How are digital technologies being used by adolescent girls (12 to 17 years) to exercise their sexual reproductive health rights in Uganda? 2. What barriers exist in utilizing digital health for the realization of sexual reproductive health rights for girls in Uganda? 3. What are the legal and policy instruments to support the use of digital technologies in Uganda?

Methodology; This research used a qualitative study design assessing the impact of digital health technologies on SRHR of adolescent girls in Uganda. Data collection primarily involved desktop research using key word searches and reviewed literature published in the last 10 years. Based on this, the study assessed the level of use of digital health technologies in Uganda, whether they improve girls` experiences of SRHR and the existing policies and laws to support this. The study also utilized a conceptual framework benchmarked upon Isaac Bandura`s social cognitive theory which posits that a person`s behaviour is determined by the triadic relationship between personal, behavioral and environmental factors in determining a person’s behaviour.