Six In Every 10 Adolescents Engage In Sexual Activities Out Of Curiosity

According to a recent survey conducted by Performance Monitoring for Action, six out of ten adolescents, regardless of gender, have engaged in sexual activities due to their curiosity.

The Survey, which was conducted between November and December 2021 in 11 counties, indicates that 19 percent engaged in sex due to peer pressure, while 15 percent as a result of the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The survey went on to reveal that four out of ten adolescents have ever had sex while 6 out of ten have ever used a family planning method.

As more adolescents continue engaging in sex, the use of family planning also increases every day. The survey indicates that there was increased use of family planning from 46 percent to 53 percent and a corresponding decrease in non-use of FP from 54 percent to 46 percent between 2019 and 2021.

Implants, injectables, and condoms account for 83 percent of the methods used By sexually active adolescents, especially girls.

Despite the rise in the number of adolescents who use family planning, however, only 16 percent of them reported having discussed family planning with a healthcare provider or community health worker, or a parent/guardian in the past year.

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While the use of family planning among the adolescent is termed as a good thing because it helps in preventing early and unwanted pregnancies, as well as allow the student to continue with their education, the issue also presents some disadvantages, especially when used without proper guidance and consultation from a health worker.

According to the report, although many adolescent females are using family planning, the number is still low compared to older women.

“Adolescents account for a very small proportion of people using a method and therefore we need to continue to advocate for adolescent-friendly services,” principal investigator Prof Peter Gichangi said.

The increased use of family planning methods can be attributed to technology, which is nowadays accessible to almost every child.

The Head of Reproductive and Maternal Health at the Health Ministry Dr. Stephen Kaliti said the ministry is working on policies that aim to protect adolescents from the harmful impact of the internet.

“We know we are in a digital era; information technology is very different from the way it was the yesteryear. We do acknowledge as a platform it is both an opportunity but can also work against us if it not well moderated,” Said Kaliti.

About 34 percent of women aged 20 to 24 years and 32 percent of women aged 25 to 49 reported they had discussions about family planning before using them.

Further research shows that the use of modern family planning has stagnated for almost all women, at 46 percent, and married women at 61 percent since 2020.

With 41 percent unintended, 34 percent mistimed, and seven percent unwanted pregnancies among married women, the question is whether they become pregnant in between when they are switching a method or when they are deciding to go for a method.

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