Study:Most teenage girls are sexually active
A majority of girls aged between 10 and 19 years in Nairobi County are sexually active, a survey has shown.
Fifty-three per cent of adolescents in the age group reported to have had penetrative sex according to the study carried by Nairobi Brain Trust (NBT) Network, an amalgamation of several civil society organsations dealing with women rights.
Half of those who have had penetrative sex have been pregnant with almost a quarter of them opting for abortion so as to continue with education as well as avoid to societal shame, seclusion and discrimination.
According to The Situation Analysis and Baseline Survey on the Adolescent Girls’ Sexual and Reproductive Health in Nairobi County report, more of those in the 14-17 age group are sexually active than those aged 10-13 years.
The November 2013 survey which interviewed 255 girls in six residential areas of the County and mostly from informal settlements revealed that 19 per cent of the girls, majority of them children below 18 years, were engaged in commercial sex activities.
“Overall more than 20 per cent of girls interviewed reported to be in heterosexual relationships, 19 per cent are also exposed to pornographic materials and acts,” revealed the survey released on Thursday.