Cases of teenage pregnancies and child marriages remain high in Kenya, and specific counties, continue to battle the ever-rising cases of teenage pregnancies. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with other crises like the prolonged drought in 2022, floods in late 2023 and 2024 further spiked teenage pregnancies despite relevant laws, policies, and strategies in schools and communities. The five factors associated with teenage pregnancies are early sexual debut, social media influence, lack of parental supervision, inadequate access to family life information, inadequate access to education and culture and tradition are closely interlinked, and a comprehensive approach to reducing and eliminating is likely to be the most effective. Teenage pregnancy is a major challenge that deprives schoolgirls of the opportunity to further their education and attain their career goals. It further exposes young girls and their children to major health risks, leading causes of death, mental health problems such as depression, poor performance in school, and social problems such as stigma and discrimination. Kenya has several best practices for addressing teenage pregnancies, along with commendable legal guidelines and policies. This confirms that there is undoubtedly a resolve to address the existing negative ASRH indicators and provide an enabling environment.
Centro de Recursos de Salud y Educación