by Laura Darcey
The threat of teenage pregnancy stalks the lives of Kenyan youth, curtailing their opportunities for a brighter future, funnelling them into a narrow life of motherhood and domestic responsibilities. 1 in 5 Kenyan teenage girls from 15-19 years-old are either pregnant or already a mother 1 . These early pregnancies are triggered by a lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services and education, poverty, child marriage and sexual violence.
Teenage pregnancy perpetuates the cycle of intergenerational poverty as young mothers struggle to complete their education and find a reliable income. Their children grow up in poverty, often falling victim to the same struggles as their parents, perpetuating a cycle of poverty across generations.
The Kenyan government has attempted to address the issue of teenage pregnancy, but to little avail, with teenage mothers still facing social stigma, isolation, worsening poverty, and poor physical and mental health outcomes.
What can contribute to teenage pregnancy?
Inadequate Reproductive Education
Sex and reproductive health are considered taboo subjects in much of Kenya 2 . Parents are hesitant to discuss such topics with their children, and are often misinformed themselves. At school, children have classes in “Life Skills” in place of reproductive education in which teachers share messaging around abstinence, the consequences of having sex, how to prevent HIV and drug abuse. Schools do not provide accurate and age-appropriate information, leaving young people to turn to their similarly uninformed peers and social media for guidance 3 . When youth are simply told to abstain from sex, they know little about how to engage in safe sex. The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey revealed 41.6% of teenage girls between 15 and 19 in Kenya are sexually active but do not use any form of contraceptive 4 . Challenges and fear around accessing contraceptives, combined with a lack of awareness about their necessity, contribute to unplanned pregnancies 5 . When messaging prioritises abstinence, the crucial knowledge of safe sex practices is often neglected.
Poverty
Poverty pushed families to make damaging decisions in order to survive. In the face of financial hardship some families resort to child marriage, marrying off a daughter in exchange for a dowry. While child marriage is illegal in Kenya, it remains prevalent in many communities driven by financial insecurity which continues to be exacerbated by climate change, gender inequality, cultural tradition, and minimal law enforcement 6 .
It is not long after marriage that many young girls fall pregnant and become teen mothers. This is often thanks to the power imbalance between a young bride and a much older groom limiting a bride’s ability to negotiate safe sex practices, and the societal and familial pressure for young brides to prove their fertility and fulfil traditional gender roles by bearing children early in the marriage 7 .
Many families living in poverty cannot afford to buy essential goods, leading girls to engage in transactional sex as a means of economic survival. They trade sex for access to basic necessities like pads, tampons, soaps and more. Sometimes sex is exchanged for as little as the 15 Kenyan Shillings (11 cents) required to pay for a daily shower in a public bathroom 8 . With little reproductive knowledge, girls do not use safe sex pregnancies and often find themselves pregnant.
Compounding these issues is the prioritisation of male children’s education over their female siblings when families cannot afford to send all of their children to school. Not attending school puts girls at a higher risk of teenage pregnancy.
Out of School
Regularly attending school protects girls from teenage pregnancy, with research showing that teenage girls with no education or only primary education are more likely to begin childbearing in their teens compared to those with secondary education or above 9 . Education delays girls’ entry into the labour market, and instead teaches girls self- esteem and (some) sexual education. Educated girls are more likely to delay marriage, and marry someone who is closer in age, and educated themselves. All of these factors can delay childbearing 10 . When schools closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the power of school attendance in deterring teenage pregnancy was made abundantly clear. Within the first three months of the pandemic, 152,000 teen pregnancies were reported in Kenya, marking a 40% increase. Unable to attend school, girls were exposed to Female Genital Cutting, child marriage, elevated levels of sexual assault, and financial insecurity 11 . Even when schools reopened, many girls were unable to return.
What challenges do teens face once pregnant?
Barriers to Education
While education is one of the most important determining factors for a girls’ future, it is often the first thing she loses access to upon pregnancy. Despite legal provisions permitting continued schooling, headteachers often instruct girls to leave school, citing concerns about teasing, but also considering them a potential negative influence on other students 12 .
Approximately 13,000 Kenyan girls drop out annually due to pregnancy-related challenges. The Kenyan government has instituted legislation to support pregnant teenagers and young mothers staying in school, but these re-entry policies have notable flaws. For instance, the existing guidelines do not address what a school should do once a pregnancy is revealed, including the duration a student should remain in school and the timeline for returning after childbirth. There is little guidance or support for returning mothers who need to catch up academically. Furthermore, the programme lacks sufficient accountability and enforcement, leaving most schools to operate as they did before 13 .
In addition to lack of academic support, those teen mothers who do try to return to the classroom encounter significant social obstacles, including teasing and stigma from both teachers and peers. Emotional support and counselling are seldom provided. In addition, the financial burden of childcare, formula, and school attendance is often insurmountable making it nearly impossible for nursing mothers to return to school. These challenges are exacerbated when teen mothers lack support and involvement from their parents and family 14 .
Health Implications
Women who bear children at a young age can face serious health consequences, experiencing higher rates of maternal mortality, a higher risk of obstructed labour, and pregnancy induced hypertension. Teenage mothers are also at high risk of experiencing nutritional deficiencies affecting their health and the development of the foetus. Infants born to teenage mothers have a higher likelihood of preterm birth, low birth weight, and developmental issues, creating a cycle of health challenges that extend to the next generation 15 . Additionally, teenage mothers are at higher risk of experiencing mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety which can be compounded by the stresses of early motherhood alongside social stigma 16 .
Girls who decide they do not want to go through with the pregnancy face challenges because access to abortion in Kenya is legally restricted. The law allows termination of pregnancy only under specific circumstances, such as if the life or health of the mother is in danger. If young girls cannot access safe and legal abortion services, they may resort to clandestine methods, putting their health and lives at risk. “Underground” abortions are a major contributor to maternal mortality and morbidity globally, and can lead to severe complications such as infections, haemorrhage, and long-term reproductive health issues 17 .
Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty
Teenage pregnancy perpetuates the intergenerational transmission of poverty, maintaining a cycle that affects not only the immediate generation but echoes through subsequent ones.
First, the educational trajectory of young girls is significantly disrupted. This curtails not only their personal development, but also restricts their ability to acquire skills and qualifications necessary for future employment opportunities. As a result, they are stuck in a cycle where lack of learning begets further financial hardships. The absence of stable employment exacerbates their vulnerability, making it difficult to provide for and invest in themselves and their children.
Finally, societal stigma exacerbates all of these challenges for young mothers. They face judgement and exclusion, contributing to a sense of marginalisation and limiting their ability to participate in community life. In addition to losing an education, young
mothers are frequently denied the networks and support systems essential for economic and social mobility 18 .
Breaking this cycle requires efforts addressing the root causes, including comprehensive education, economic empowerment, and dismantling of societal stigmas surrounding teen pregnancies.
How does NTS help break this cycle?
Sending a child to NTS alleviates the economic burden of a household, as each student is fed 3 nutritionally-complete meals each day. Additionally, all female students receive training and reusable menstrual products from our partner, AFRIpads. These services mean that our female students are much less likely to be taken out of school to be married off in exchange for a dowry, and they need not resort to engaging in transactional sex for menstrual products.
NTS provides comprehensive reproductive health education to all our students, both male and female. This means that the entire cohort knows how to engage in safe sex, and understands how to avoid unplanned pregnancies. Female students receive additional lessons with AFRIpads, teaching them about the female menstrual cycle and how to manage their reproductive health.
In the case that a student does fall pregnant, we provide support such that she experiences as few disruptions to her education as possible. We have strict anti- bullying policies at NTS, which extend to ensure zero tolerance for teasing and discrimination against young mothers. Our goal is to help pregnant students stay in school for as long as possible, and invite them back to school after giving birth.
Some girls need more time before returning to the classroom, so we offer them a spot to repeat the year if needed. During their time off, we provide them with food for themselves, and extra food to take home in the evening and on weekends for the baby. In the future, we also hope to provide childcare for young mothers.
References
1 Kenyan National Council for Population and Development, Teenage Pregnancy and motherhoodsituation in Kenya, https://healtheducationresources.unesco.org/library/documents/teenage-pregnancy-and-motherhood-situation-kenya-county-burden-and-driving#:~:text=This%20policy%20brief%20looks%20at,to%20sexual%20and%20reproductive%20health
2 UNFPA, Breaking the silence that led to a high teenage pregnancy in a Kenyan county, https://kenya.unfpa.org/en/news/breaking-silence-led-high-teenage-pregnancy-rate-kenyan-county
3 Devex, Is religious influence fuelling the teen pregnancy crisis in Kenya?, https://www.devex.com/news/is-religious-influence-fueling-the-teen-pregnancy-crisis-in-kenya-103080
4 The Elephant, Sex Education: Are we going enough?, https://www.theelephant.info/analysis/2023/09/19/sex-education-are-we-doing-enough/
5 The Elephant
6 Girls Not Brides, Child Marriage Atlas, https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/child-marriage-atlas/atlas/kenya/#:~:text=Legal%20age%20of%20marriage%20%2D%2018%20years%2C%20no%20exceptions,-What’s%20the%20prevalence&text=23%25%20of%20Kenyan%20girls%20are,regions%20and%20among%20ethnic%20groups
7 K4D, Early marriage, pregnancy, and girls school dropout, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c6ac30440f0b61a1afc3f7c/470_Early_Marriage_Preg
nancy_and_School_Dropout.pdf
8 The Guardian, ‘Sex for sanitary pads’: how Kenya’s lockdown led to a rise in teenage pregnancy, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/dec/24/sex-for-sanitary-pads-how-kenyas- lockdown-led-to-a-rise-in-teenage- pregnancy#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSometimes%20sex%20was%20in%20exchange,promised%20them %20such%20small%20luxuries.%E2%80%9D
9 Kenyan National Council for Population and Development
10 Behrman, Does Keeping Adolescent Girls in School Protect Against Sexual Violence? https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X16303548
11 The New York Times, ‘These girls are being cut and married in droves’, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/10/opinion/kenya-covid-child-marriage.html
12 Idinsight, Supporting teen mothers return to school: Lessons from Kenya, https://www.idinsight.org/article/what-works-to-support-teen-mothers-to-return-to-school-lessons-from-
kenya/
13 Idinsight
14 Idinsight
15 Kumar, Adolescent Pregnancy and Challenges in Kenyan Context, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5937539/
16 Congo, Pregnancy trends and associated factors among Kenyan adolescent girls and young
women pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdown, https://online.ucpress.edu/agh/article/1/1/1811306/194929/Pregnancy-trends-and-associated-factors-
among
17 KHRC, Teenage Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion, https://www.khrc.or.ke/index.php/publications/69-teenage-pregnancy-and-abortion-case-study/file
18 Wiggins, Teenage Pregnancy and Social Exclusion, https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10003007/1/Wiggins2005TeenageParenthood.pdf