Issues like unequal gender and social norms, traditional beliefs, and social stigmas about sexuality can negatively impact the health and well-being of women, girls, and other diverse groups. These challenges make it harder for people to use contraception and other family planning resources, potentially leading to high teenage pregnancy rates.

In both countries, many young women give birth before they reach adulthood. In Mozambique, 142 out of every 1000 women aged 15 to 19 have given birth—it's one of the highest rates in the world. In Uganda, 33 per cent of women give birth before they turn 18, and the prevalence of girls getting married before they become adults is more than 40 per cent.

Mozambique is one of the eight African countries where abortion has been legalized without restrictions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and in cases of rape, incest, and fetal anomaly. However, unsafe abortion persists. It's one of the country's leading causes of maternal death.

In Canada, the challenges facing young people around sexual education and reproductive health services may not be the same as in Uganda and Mozambique, but they are still significant. The availability of these services varies depending on where a person lives, and for some, accessing abortion and contraceptive care can be challenging. Unfortunately, comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is not uniform across the country and doesn't always meet international standards.