Wealthy Kiambu women opt for traditional family planning – survey

Up to 80 per cent of wealthy and educated women in Kiambu county use traditional family planning methods, a survey has revealed.

The research was conducted by Performance and Monitoring for Action.

Data collected between November and December 2021 from 867 households shows that wealthy women opted for periodic abstinence and withdrawal during sexual intercourse.

The Ministry of Health, International Centre for Reproductive Health Kenya, the National Council for Population and Development and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics participated in data collection.

Nyambura Thiong’o, a PMA representative in Juja town, said traditional family planning methods have fewer side effects compared to pills, injection, vaginal methods, condom, female  and male sterilisation and implants.

In Kiambu, 26 per cent of teenagers are sexually active, raising concern over rising number of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

“These statistics are worrying because the numbers are rising and this calls for concerted efforts to educate our adolescents on the dangers of early sex,” Thiong’o said.

The survey further revealed that some adolescent youths desire to prevent teenage pregnancies but are not well educated on methods.

“The county should work on availing information to teenagers on the best family planning methods. This needs to be worked on even as they try to sensitise on abstinence,” she said.

The data shows that general uptake of contraceptives in Kiambu has been rising, a move that has been lauded for helping in management and allocation of resources.

From the data, 74 per cent of the unmarried women use various forms of contraceptives as compared to married women.

Most women, prefer seeking family planning education from chemists and private clinics.

The survey also indicated that the county has almost all family planning methods  in public health facilities.

At least 91 per cent of those offering implants have trained staff and instruments needed for insertion and removal.

Hilary Kagwa, county director in charge of health, urged teenagers to refrain from abuse of modern contraceptives.

Kagwa said some of the emergency contraceptives can result in delayed pregnancies and other diseases.

“The survey is imperative and will assist us on planning and creating awareness cross the county," Kagwa said.

"The data will help us explore other areas of improvement and especially the use of traditional family planning method which is already proving to be effective among elite women."

 

(Edited by Tabnacha O)

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