Implement Comprehensive Sexuality Education To Tackle Teenage Pregnancy

Nyalenda slums in Kisumu County houses a lot of teenage mothers. Achieng was brave enough to share her story with me.

“I wanted to finish school and become a hair dresser but my wishes never came true. I got pregnant at the age of 13 and I was forced to drop out of school to look after my baby. 5 minutes of unprotected sex had ruined my life and dreams completely. I wish I could reverse time to that moment. I could have asked him to use a condom. I wish I had the information on sexual reproductive health and rights, I could have made the right decision. Right now I could be in school working hard to achieve my dreams but all that is gone. I usually feel so bad when I see my friends going to school and reading books that I can’t even read.”

She is not alone. According to the Kenya Demographic health survey 2014, teenage pregnancy is highest in Nyanza region followed by Rift valley and the Coast. They say number don’t lie. According to the KDHS 2014 15% of women age 15-19 have already had a birth while 18% have begun child bearing.

There is a need to stop teenage pregnancy before the situation gets out of hand. Teenage pregnancy is not just a health issue but it is a developmental issue too. The price of teenage pregnancy is characterized with lost potential, foreshortened education, lack of opportunities, poverty, and constrained life options.

I believe that every young person must be empowered to decide how many children to have and when to have them. This can be done by introducing Comprehensive sexuality education in schools. Evidence has shown that where young people’s lack of access to critical information about their sexual and reproductive health, we are more likely to see increased cases of teenage pregnancy.

Comprehensive sexuality education provides young people with opportunities to explore their values and attitudes and build skills so they can make safe decisions and reduce their risk of getting diseases such as ‪HIV and getting pregnant.