Access to voluntary family planning and reproductive health services for everyone, including our young generation, is vital for the future.
Half of the pregnancies among adolescent women in the developing world are unintended.
About 23 million young women, wish to avoid pregnancy but they do not use modern contraceptive methods.
Contraception is important because it helps reduce poverty and contributes to economic growth.
Worldwide, more than 30 million adolescent women are not in school because of early marriages.
This has led them to drop out of school.
Family planning partnerships at the global and country-level will be critical to reducing this burden.
This will ensure that young women are fully educated and there is increased population control.
USAID has played a crucial role in increasing access to modern contraceptives.
The government in partnership with NGOs should ensure the young generation are educated on the use of contraceptives.
For the young generation to decide on their future, they need to have access to the tools they require to protect their health.
They need to first understand how various methods of birth control work, the benefits and challenges of using particular methods, and where to get them.
They also need support and encouragement from adults too.
Parents, educators, health care providers and pharmacy staff can also play a critical role in helping teens learn, obtain and use contraception effectively.
Kenya has made great progress towards increased uptake of family planning.
It has recently exceeded its 2020 target of 58 per cent modern contraceptive use by married women.
However, there still is an increase in unintended pregnancies among the young generation.
The cases increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Therefore, should teenagers be educated on family planning and is the government doing enough to curb these cases?
Student, Maasai Mara university
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
