“I didn’t have someone to consult when I became pregnant” 

Enkhmaa Baatarkhuu is 18 and lives with her  son and parents in Nomgon soum of Umnugobi aimag. After graduating ninth grade Enkhmaa went to the province for her studies but she got pregnant at the start of 10th grade and left school.  She recently took part in a pilot with UNFPA to try out a new way of getting information about sexual and reproductive health. She’s used the Mandukhai platform to chat and learned a lot about what services are available to girls like  her. Enkhmaa would like to see Mandukhai expanded so Mongolian girls can be better informed about contraception and reproductive rights. 

“I didn’t have someone to consult when I became pregnant because I was living with my relative in the provincial center and was afraid to tell my parents who were living with my siblings far from me,” she says. “I left school and went back to the soum. My son is almost 1-year-old now. I wish I could have studied further with my friends.”

She says it’s hard being dependent on her parents. There’s no school for her to continue her studies in her soum but she plans to go to the Ulaanbaatar capital city to work when her son is 2 years old and her parents can support with childcare.

She says money worries played a part in how she got pregnant. 

“I was financially dependent and used to worry about costs when seeking SRH services when I lived with my relatives in the provincial center,” she says. I didn't know that there was an Adolescent Cabinet where we can get free services and counselling. 

Without resources or information, she was left in the dark as she adjusted to school and city life. 

“I didn’t have much information about contraception,”

“I didn’t have much information about contraception,” she says. “I found out I was pregnant when I was three months along.”

She says there is a lack of comprehensive information available to the girls about where and how to access free contraception. Enkhmaa says there is a taboo about adolescent sexuality in the Mongolian culture that limits girl’s information-seeking and access to counselling.  

She didn’t study health education when she was in school and says it depends on where you live. Like many things in Mongolia, it’s hardest for girls in rural areas where services are limited. 

“I used to get information from my friends,” she says. “We used to talk mostly about love, relationships and menstruation. We would also get information from the internet.”

Enkhmaa was part of a group of girls who got to chat with Mandukhai chatbot developed by UNFPA. It was a pilot demonstration of what the platform can do when Mongolian girls ask real questions. 

“I wish Mandukhai would have piloted earlier,” she says. “She provided me with accurate information and they said soon she will refer us to a health care providers with contact details and location on google maps”

“I wish Mandukhai would have piloted earlier,”

Through chatting with Mandukhai on messenger, she learned that provincial hospitals distribute free contraceptives through primary health care centers.

She says the whole experience was easy and helpful. 

“I will continue using Mandukhai,” she says. “She will be my friend and I’ll tell others to consult Mandukhai about adolescent sexual reproductive health.”

”She will be my friend and I’ll tell others to consult Mandukhai about adolescent sexual reproductive health.”

Enkhmaa says the answers were accurate, easy to understand, and short because “we don’t read long answers.”. But she says the openness and privacy of the chat make a big difference, 

“The most important thing was that Mandukhai would keep my secret,” she says. “Girls prefer to chat rather than face-to-face discussion when it comes to sexual reproductive health issues.”

She says the lack of openness about reproductive health creates cultural barriers with serious consequences. 

“Because of the limited knowledge of family planning and access to services, girls like me get pregnant earlier,” she says “We always feel embarrassed to talk about our sexual health or worry about the confidentiality of services in small communities.”

Mandukhai is based on Facebook, so girls are able to access her 24/7 to text questions on family planning and sexuality and reproductive health

Enkhmaa says the need for a platform like Mandukhai is urgent, because the lack of information is disrupting girls' lives.

“We need counsellor like Mandukhai,” she says, “to access information so we can make informed decisions that prevent us from unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and sexually transmitted infections.”