Job Description
The Position Background
Adolescence is the period in which young people transition from childhood to adulthood and provides an opportunity to invest in sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Adolescence is divided into three stages namely: early adolescence (10–13 years), middle adolescence (14–16 years), and late adolescence (over 17-19 years), with each stage having its different unique characteristics. Globally, an estimated 21 million girls aged 15–19 years in developing regions become pregnant every year, and approximately 12 million of them give birth.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 indicates that although Kenya has made progress in reducing the national prevalence of teenage pregnancy, wide disparities still exist and these variations are informed by wealth, geographic location and education. The survey shows that teenage pregnancy rates in Kenya declined to 15% in 2022 from 18% in 2014, with the adolescent birth rate among girls between the ages of 15-19 years also declining from 96/1000 in 2014 to 73/1000 in 2022. Poverty and lack of education were associated with higher rates, while regional disparities were also evident with counties such as Samburu reporting the highest prevalence at 50%, West Pokot 36%, Marsabit 29%, Narok 28% and Meru at 24%. These counties are followed closely by Homabay (23%), Migori (22%), Kajiado (22%), Siaya (21%), Baringo (20%), Bungoma (19%), Turkana (19%), and Transnzoia, Busia and Taita Taveta each at 18%. Nyeri and Nyandarua counties reported the lowest rates of teenage pregnancy at 5% each.
Teenage pregnancy is attributed to a number of factors including but not limited to low education; limited knowledge of SRH coupled with inadequate parental and societal involvement in the guidance and protection of adolescents; poverty and associated vulnerabilities; early sexual debut; child marriage; FGM, Gender Based Violence (GBV), and inadequate access to friendly and responsive SRH services by adolescents.
