By Linah Benyawa
MOMBASA, KENYA: The Coastal region has the second highest teenage pregnancy rate in Kenya after the former Nyanza province, according to a new report by the National Council for Population and Development NCPD.
The report shows that 26 per cent of teenagers in the former Coast province become pregnant after Nyanza which has a rate of 27 per cent rate. The teenage pregnancy rate for Central is 10 per cent but statistics were not provided for other regions.
It shows that adolescent pregnancy is common in Coast due to early sex, marriages and low contraceptive use.
NCPD regional coordinator Samuel Tanui said on Thursday that girls aged 15-19 years within coast region had already begun child bearing.
“Most of the adolescent pregnancy are unplanned and therefore results to adverse outcome as the county records the second highest teenage fertility at 26 per cent after Nyanza which stands at 27 per cent,” said Tanui.
Tanui attributed this high fertility rate to drug abuse arguing that half of drug abusers in the country were between the age of 10-19 which has often led to early sexual debut, unprotected sexual intercourse, and multiples sexual partners, risk of sexual violence and contracting of STIs and unintended pregnancies.
He added that there was a need for young people in and outside school to get reproductive health information and services, especially those who were in hard to reach areas.
And he explained that the ministry of Education, UNESCO and key players in the education sector were consulting in order to review the school curriculum to include comprehensive sexual education and life skills in schools.
