Rural-Urban Migration and Sexual and Reproductive Health Choices among Street Adolescents and Youth in Uganda

This dissertation investigates the effect of rural-urban migration on, and social determinants of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) choices of street-youth. A random sample of 513 adolescents and youth living in Kampala, Uganda’s capital was chosen as a population for this research. A mixed methods cross-sectional study was applied. The study findings showed that physical safety, economic survival, and the migration process are drivers of risky sexual behaviour. Migration significantly influenced SRH services use, with migrant street-youth less likely to have used services than non-migrant counterparts did. Factors that influenced street-youth’s personal childbearing decision-making and contraceptive intentions were found to operate mainly at the interpersonal and community levels, with migration and intra-urban mobility playing a central role in street youth’s SRH choices. To improve SRH services use and reduce risky sexual behaviour among street-youth during migration and early integration in the city spaces, multi-level interventions at the individual, community and societal levels are required.