Sexual health policy to curb teenage crisis

A pregnant teenage girl. Teen pregnancy is both a public health and education problem in Kenya. PHOTO | AFP

By  EVELYN SAMBA

What you need to know:

  • At 15, three out of 100 girls are already child-bearing and this rises to 40 out of 100 girls by age 19.
  • The conversation about a sexuality education curriculum somewhat stalled.
  • Unfortunately, teenage pregnancies are common in many parts of the country.
  • Data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2014, reveals that many Kenyans aged between 15 and 19 are having children.

In the past couple of weeks, news of girls giving birth or sitting their national exams while pregnant have hit the headlines. Unfortunately, teenage pregnancies are common in many parts of the country.

Data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2014, reveals that many Kenyans aged between 15 and 19 are having children. At 15, three out of 100 girls are already child-bearing and this rises to 40 out of 100 girls by age 19.

The Ministry of Health and other stakeholders have spent a lot of time on formulating a response to tackle the issue of teenage pregnancies among other challenges.

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The most comprehensive and perhaps relevant intervention is the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy.

TEENAGE PREGNANCIES

The policy, which was published and launched in 2015, provides a clear roadmap of actions that the stakeholders need to take to tackle teenage pregnancies.

It has a 14-point action plan, ranging from providing teenagers with accurate information through an age appropriate comprehensive sexuality education curriculum, to investing in youth-friendly reproductive healthcare.

Alongside the policy, the Health ministry has also committed to ensuring access for every sexually active adolescent to modern contraceptives.

This is important because only four out of 10 (40 percent) adolescent sexually active women aged 15 to 19 are using (or whose partner is using) a contraceptive method. This means that most teenage pregnancies are unintended. The ministry targets to increase this to five out of 10 (50 percent) by 2020.

CONTRACEPTIVES

The discussion on access to modern contraceptives for adolescents is particularly relevant as Kenya joins the global family planning community for the International Conference on Family Planning in Kigali.

This provides an opportunity to renew its commitment to reducing pregnancy among adolescents (15 to 19) from 18 to 12 per cent by 2020 and 10 per cent by 2025.

Alongside efforts by the Health ministry in tackling teenage pregnancy, the Ministry of Education also has a role to play.

One of the high impact, low- hanging fruits the Education ministry can pick in tackling teenage pregnancy is to speed up the adoption of age- appropriate comprehensive sexuality education into the school curriculum.

INTERVENTION

The conversation about a sexuality education curriculum somewhat stalled. High-level intervention is needed to unlock the impasse.

From our experience in Kilifi County, such a broad partnership involving parents, education officials, health officials, community and religious leaders can yield positive results. We have seen drastic reduction in teenage pregnancies in areas where we have worked for five years.

The best bet in tackling teenage pregnancy is implementing national adolescent sexual and reproductive health policy.

Ms Samba is the Kenya country director at Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW), a global development organisation. [email protected]

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