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3.6 NGOs Intervention in reducing adolescent pregnancies
from Adolescent Pregnancy
by Akili Dada
Primary grade 6-8
secondary Form 1-2 Secondary form 3-4 Technical/Vocational Total
Marital Status
Married Single Divorced Total 22.6 29 Adult Relative 10.1 13
25 32 Adult Nonrelative 6.2
8 29 37 Partner 11 14 14.8 19 Total 100 128 100 128
10.2 13 86.8 111 3 4 100 128
3.2.2 Early Marriage and Childbearing
Marriage and childbearing rates were low. About 6% (21) of the respondents reported ever being married and 10% (39) had ever given birth. The rate of adolescent pregnancy was slightly higher in Kisii with 2% of the respondents reporting ever giving birth. Early marriage was slightly higher in Siaya with 2% of girls having ever been married. Majority of the respondents who have given birth are between ages 18-19. The findings further demonstrated a relationship between age at first sexual encounter debut and ever giving birth which aligns to the proximate determinants of fertility studies that have age at sexual debut as one of the determinants of early pregnancy16 .
The assessment findings established there is a relationship between adolescents giving birth and living with parents. Further, the findings showed there was a relationship between adolescents giving birth and education status.
3.2.3 Contraceptive Use
The assessment findings demonstrate that 15% of the respondents have ever used contraceptives. Condoms (34%), oral contraceptives (22%) and injectable (20%) were the most used contraceptives by the adolescents. A significant relationship exists between contraceptive use, age, sibling teenage pregnancy, ever given birth, who the adolescent lives with and if they have a boyfriend.
Unmet need and demand for family planning among young women is one of the leading contributors for adolescent and young women pregnancy which validates the proximate factors of fertility in Kenya.
Adolescents find themselves with unwanted pregnancy and some opt to seek for abortion
16 (1) UNICEF. Ending child marriage: Progress and prospects. New York: UNICEF, 2013
