Rwanda Lowers Legal Age for Contraception Access to 15 Amid Rising Teen Pregnancies

The Rwandan government has approved a landmark law allowing teenagers aged 15 and above to access contraception without parental consent, in a bold move aimed at curbing the country’s escalating rate of teenage pregnancies.

The new law, passed by lawmakers on Monday, amends the legal contraception access age from 18 to 15. The policy shift has triggered mixed reactions in the largely conservative central African nation of around 13 million people, where nearly 40% of the population is under 15.

According to the World Health Organisation, adolescent birth rates are declining globally but remain stubbornly high in sub-Saharan Africa. Rwanda’s health ministry reported over 22,000 unintended teen pregnancies in 2024 alone, attributing the crisis in part to restricted access to reproductive health services for minors.

“It has been proven that Rwandan girls are sexually active even before 15 years,” said John Scarius, programme director at the Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development. “What the parliament has done is a good thing… from a progressive standpoint.”

The legislation will permit teenagers to obtain birth control pills and implants. However, lawmakers emphasized the prioritization of condom use as a primary method of contraception.

A report presented in parliament revealed that over the past five years, 100,000 teenage girls in Rwanda experienced unwanted pregnancies, which contributed significantly to school dropouts.

“We expect this law to bring a decrease in teenage pregnancies, minimal school dropouts, and fewer unsafe abortions,” Scarius added.

While health rights advocates praised the move, critics voiced concern over potential moral and social consequences. In Kigali, retired healthcare worker and parent Karemera Charlotte criticized the law, calling it a “dangerous door” to open.

“The thought of seeing your 15-year-old off to school with packets of condoms in the suitcase is unfathomable,” Charlotte said. “This, in a way, will actually promote abortion.”

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