By Daisy Okoti
The rate of teen pregnancies in Kenya has remained largely unchanged over the years, a survey shows, turning the spotlight on the effectiveness of ongoing initiatives aimed at curbing the problem.
Pregnancy among teens aged 15-19 stands at about 18.1 percent — an insignificant change since 1993 when it was estimated at 20.5 percent, according to a report by the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP).
Narok, Samburu and West Pokot top in teenage pregnancies in Kenya, a new survey showed, underlining the struggles to end retrogressive practices among some pastoral communities which exposed young girls to early sex.
An estimated 68 percent of girls aged 15-24 years in Narok have ever fallen pregnant, according to AFIDEP. The situation is equally bad in Samburu and West Pokot.
Teenage pregnancies remain a challenge in pastoralist communities partly due to cultural practices such as early marriages, polygamy, low literacy levels, especially among women and low access to contraceptives.
Related article: Let’s Talk Teenage Pregnancies…
Pastoral communities are the most polygamous in Kenya, according to a survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
Mandera recorded the highest number of polygamous unions (35 percent), followed by West Pokot (25 per cent), Turkana (20.3 per cent) and Narok (16.9 per cent) — partly explaining why teenage pregnancies may be rife in pastoral counties…Read more>>
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