A Christian university in Uganda is randomly pregnancy testing its students. Once any pregnant students are found, they are in trouble. The first round of tests at Bishop Barham College in Kabale district – affiliated to the Uganda Christian University – saw 26 students suspended for being pregnant, and three more expelled for having illegitimate pregnancies.
Dr John Senyonyi, the vice chancellor of the university, said that the pregnancies were signs of the 'spiritual and moral darkness' of the country, adding: 'Our policy here is that you come to study but not to get pregnant,' according to* Standard Media*.
He's not the only one behind this, though. Joseph Musaalo, the university's counsellor, wrote in the university's community newspaper: '[Sex] must be with the right person at the right time. Hence the UCU code of conduct; she who gets pregnant out of wedlock commits an offence, he who gets a woman pregnant out of wedlock commits an offence. The university is at liberty to take action against any student who breaks these rules irrespective of faith.'
They say irrespective of faith, but the university – one of two Christian academic institutions in Uganda – is known for imposing strict rules based on a very conservative interpretation of Christianity on to its students. Not all of Uganda is like this, apparently. A teaching assistant told The Huffington Post: 'When students sign up, they sign an agreement which includes a clause stating that if they become pregnant out of wedlock they will be asked to leave. At this point, they have the option of going elsewhere, although sometimes it is the parents who want them to go to a Christian university to keep them on the right track. However, it is common to become pregnant outside of marriage in Uganda.'
Random pregnancy tests, though? Is this a university or an experimentation lab?
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.