Teenage Pregnancy Crisis Spurs Rwanda Debate on Medical Consent for 15-Year-Olds

The measure is part of a draft law governing health services that seeks to harmonize more than 111 provisions. Supporters say lowering the age of consent could help curb the country’s high rate of teenage pregnancies, while critics say it risks undermining existing legal protections and health safeguards.

Official data show 22,454 adolescent girls were sexually abused and became pregnant in 2024. The numbers stood at 19,701 in 2020, 23,111 in 2021, 24,472 in 2022 and 22,055 in 2023.

MP Izere Marie Ingrid backed the bill but urged pairing access to contraception with stronger behavioral guidance to avoid spreading other diseases. “Family planning services without proper education could put young people at risk of infections that threaten their future,” she said.

Others opposed the provision entirely. MP Ntezimana Jean Claude argued it contradicts laws preventing minors from representing themselves in court, while MP Niyorurema Jean Rene said Rwanda should strengthen awareness campaigns before expanding access to minors. He also suggested parental or guardian notification be required.

MP Tumukunde Hope Gasatura supported medical access for minors but said the age should be set at 16, when youths have national IDs.

State Minister for Health Yvan Butera said past awareness efforts have failed to significantly reduce teenage pregnancies and called for combining education with practical, science-based tools. “Awareness helps, but real change comes when it’s paired with family involvement and modern solutions,” he said, citing lessons from the HIV/AIDS response in the 1980s and 1990s.

Butera noted that 38% of babies born to teenage mothers suffer from stunting, with lasting impacts on their health and development. “We should not accept having more than 9,000 children at risk of stunting each year when we have ways to prevent it,” he said.

The bill is set for a vote later this month.