Fertility behaviors
My research on fertility behaviors is themed across (a) fertility intentions, (b) maternal health, (c) sexual and reproductive health and rights, and (d) abortion.
My research on fertility intentions draws on illuminating family aspirations of University graduates amid the transition of navigating entry into the labor market in a country like Uganda, with a rising population of tertiary-skilled graduates but limited employment opportunities. In my recently published paper in the Journal of Emerging Adulthood, I explore the interrelationships between childbearing intentions and the economic aspirations of university graduates and show how highly educated young adults re-engineer their navigation of economic opportunities, risks, and challenges by delaying childbearing, downsizing the number of children to have, and prolonging birth intervals, to shape pathways toward financial independence and well-being.
On maternal health, my research focuses on the use of family planning and access to pregnancy-related care. My research on sexual and reproductive health and rights examines sexual and reproductive health behaviors and experiences of women, including the role of male involvement.
In my work with John A. Mushomi (Ph.D.), Nicholas Tunanukye (Ph.D), and Joseph Munyangabo (under review in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters), we interrogate the policy hypocrisy in Uganda’s abortion regulatory framework and underscore the need for legal reform to ensure the well-being of women and acknowledge their rights and bodily autonomy. Further research I am producing on abortion uncovers abortion access, women’s abortion experiences, healthcare workers’ experiences providing post-abortion care, and public opinions around abortion in restricted contexts like Uganda.