The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and
international interest.
The just-released Kenya Demographic and Health Survey of 2014 sheds interesting light on how various communities control the traffic of babies in the family.
The traditional birth control method called withdrawal is almost unknown in most counties. Coastarians however have perfected the art of ‘playing kati,’ with Tana River County recording the highest scores at 4.3 per cent. Kwale came in second with 2.4 per cent.
From the survey, men from Narok and Kajiado also rely on pulling out, or coitus interruptus, which medics have warned requires a lot of self-control. However, it is projected that 28 out of 100 women who ‘play kati’ for one year will get pregnant.
Other counties in ‘Team Natural Family Planning’ are Makueni, Elgeyo Marakwet and Mombasa. Kenyan men treasure ‘their boys’
According to the survey, the number of sterilised men is insignificant in almost all parts of the country, apart from Nairobi and Nakuru, where it stands at 0.1 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively.
However, seven per cent of women in the county are sterilised; meaning they have used a permanent family planning method which is not reversible. Makueni tops as the county with the highest number of women who have been sterilised at a ratio of 1:10.
The widowed are more promiscuous
The survey also indicates that divorced, separated or widowed men and women are more likely to have more sex partners than their married or unmarried counterparts.
“These are preliminary results and when we do the finally analysis, we shall be able to interpret why we have these trends,” says Dr Nicholas Muraguri, the Director of Medical Services.
It’s a ‘no’ to female CDs
The survey also indicated that women have totally refused to use the female condom or femidom with no record of any positive response, apart from 0.1 per cent of the women interviewed, and only in Trans Nzoia.
