The reproductive health strategy on contraceptives to teenagers has sparked confusion between the national government and county governments.
County governments have argued that parts of the policy’s guidelines are tone-deaf to the realities of teen pregnancies in the country, and the two levels of government have been bickering over whether the policy should stand.
Out of eight adolescent girls, one is either pregnant or has delivered, a report has indicated.
A report released by the National Council for Population and Development showed that Nairobi County leads in teen pregnancy in adolescents aged between 10 and 14 years.
This is based on statistics between January and October 2021.
The capital city was followed by Homa Bay which had 1,530 cases, Kajiado had 1,496; Mandera 1,370 and Bomet 1,041 cases.
Counties reporting high adolescent pregnancy among girls aged 15 to 19 years in 2021 include; Bungoma with 10,291, Meru 10,406, Kakamega 11,594, Narok 9,879 and Nairobi 13,319.
Former Council of Governors chair Wycliffe Oparanya asked the ministry to put the policy on hold so that “county governments can review the text and submit their recommendations.”
As a result, there has been confusion across the country, with some health officials refusing to implement the policy and continuing to provide contraceptives to teens, while others withholding treatment for fear of retaliation.
The National Adolescent and Sexual Reproductive Health Policy (2015) said that reproductive health services are basic human rights for all individuals, and that adolescents and youth have the right to a full spectrum of reproductive health information and services prior to the policy.
As per the performance monitoring for Action Kenya 2021 report, roughly six out of ten adolescents in Kenya did not use a contraceptive technique during their most recent sex, and just 14 per cent of all adolescents (15-19 years) use modern contraceptive methods.
Kenya has made significant progress in increasing the use of modern contraceptives. Kenya achieved a contraceptive prevalence of 61 per cent in 2020, exceeding the 58 per cent objective. According to a poll done by Performance Monitoring for Action, this resulted in the rate being revised to 66 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2050.
The demand for modern contraceptive methods climbed from 74 to 76 per cent in 2019, with married women using them more than their unmarried counterparts, at 58 per cent in 2019 and 62 per cent in 2020, respectively, compared to 56 and 61 per cent in 2018.
The legal stance on parental and spousal consent for teenagers seeking family planning services, according to the Population Reference Bureau’s scorecard, remains a barrier and may delay progress.
The report indicated that teenage pregnancy is multifaceted with major drivers varying across counties.
Every year, about 13,000 Kenyan girls drop out of school due to unplanned pregnancies.