Rise in teenage pregnancies after Kenyan schools shut

Officials in Kenya say that there has been a significant rise in teenage pregnancies, especially since the start of Covid-19 restrictions in March.

Data released by the health ministry show that in just one county about 4,000 teenage girls have become pregnant since the start of the year.

Schools were closed nationwide in mid-March as part of safety measures announced by the government.

The authorities are concerned that in many cases it is relatives of the underage girls who are involved. Officials also fear that the real numbers could be much higher as teenage pregnancies are often under-reported.

Political leaders in several of Kenya’s 47 counties have asked the government to investigate the rise in numbers.

Kenya has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world, making up 82 out of 1,000 births

Economic hardships blamed for rise in adolescent pregnancies – study

A recent study has revealed Zimbabwe’s economic hardships are the cause for the rise in adolescent pregnancies, underscoring that such negative impact has prompted untold decay in society’s moral standards.

The landmark report done by the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Aids Research Zimbabwe (CeSHHAR), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other partners established that an estimated 1,706,946 Antenatal Care bookings (ANC)  were made in 1,560 healthcare facilities captured in the DHIS- 2 platform from 2019-2022 among women of childbearing aged 10 years and above.

 Of these, 21% were among adolescents aged 10-19 years.

A total of 1532 maternal deaths were recorded and of these 25% were among adolescent and young women under 24 years (data was not disaggregated to reflect the 10-19 years category.

Of the estimated 50,957 pregnant women newly testing HIV positive, 0.1% were among adolescents aged 10-14 years, 15% among the 15-19 years, 29% among the 20-24 years, 25% among the 25-29 years, 18% among the 30- 34 years, 11% among the 35-39 years, and 3% among the 40 years and above age

“The prevailing economic recession which led to poverty, unemployment, depletion of family saving, falling prices of their agricultural produce and migration of parents and caregivers has been cited as key drivers of adolescent pregnancy,” the report observes.

The document says the upsurge in parents’ migration has also undermined family structures leaving children alone or under the care of de facto caregivers thereby increasing children’s vulnerability to risky sexual behavior and sexual abuse.

“Lack of parental care and supervision because of parents/caregivers’ long working hours and prolonged absence from home has fueled adolescent pregnancies through consensual sex, transactional sex and sexual abuse.

“The economic decline has also resulted in the need for children to supplement their parents’ or caregiver’s income. Adolescents have been driven into artisanal gold panning, vending, or working as housemaids which have increased their vulnerability to early engagement in risky sexual behaviour, drug and substance use and dropping out of school among other social ills,” the report added.