By Francis Koech
Uasin Gishu, Kenya: A new report on reproductive health in Uasin Gishu County secondary schools reveals that at least 49 per cent of students have engaged in sexual intercourse in the last one year.
The report by I Choose Life Africa (ICL) cited that a whopping 58.2 per cent of students willingly engaged in sex – 20.1 per cent out of curiosity, 7.1 per cent were forced and 4.8 per cent for other reasons.
Interesting, 2.6 per cent engaged for money, 1.1 per cent were drugged, 1.3 per cent enticed with money, 2.1 per cent enticed with a gift and 0.8 per cent wanted a gift in return.
Another 41 per cent were reported to have had their first sexual encounter at an average age of 14 years.
Less than 7 per cent of the students were reported to have had sex with members of the same sex, while 20 per cent harboured intentions of having sex in the next year.
The findings are captured in the Uasin Gishu County Health and Economic Status High Schools Report released over the weekend.
ICL Chief Executive Officer Mike Mutungi said the programme has trained 200 peer educators who engage peers in conversations about sex to promote health-enhancing knowledge and skills.
“Our intention is to promote health-enhancing behaviour change, giving locally relevant and meaningful suggestions in an appropriate local language and context,” said Mr Mutungi.
He said ICL was working with the ministries of Education, Science and Technology, Health, and the Economic Projects Transformational Facility.
