Some of the pregnant adolescents in Korogocho experience verbal or physical abuse in health facilities when they go to seek Antenatal services.
A report released on Tuesday shows that out of the 594 adolescent girls interviewed, 155 (26 per cent) said they had experienced physical or verbal abuse in health facilities.
The study was conducted by the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), Miss Koch Kenya and the Directorate of Children's Services in Nairobi county.
The study aimed to understand the driving factors behind early pregnancy and the experiences of young mothers in healthcare facilities.
It also sought to find out how adolescent boys and girls navigate parenthood.
Some of the abuses include being punched, kicked, slapped, hit, gagged, being physically tied to the bed or being held down on the bed forcefully.
“The most common type of physical abuse was fundal pressure (pressure on the uterus), followed by being slapped by health workers or hospital staff,” the report shows.
Those who reported having experienced verbal abuse by a health worker or other staff said they were either shouted or screamed at, insulted, scolded or mocked.
Others experienced negative comments about their physical appearance or that of their baby or were threatened with a caesarean section while others were blamed for something that happened to their baby.
According to the report, 85 girls reported stigma or discrimination during their hospital visit with all girls who experienced stigma or discrimination reporting that the negative comments were from a doctor.
Of the 491 adolescents who had given birth in health facilities, one in 10 reported not having a hospital worker present during delivery.
About 118 reported having no privacy during childbirth while 144 reported sharing a hospital bed with another woman.
Eighty-one (17 per cent) of the adolescent mothers reported having been detained due to unpaid hospital bills.
“Most girls would recommend the hospital to a sister or friend, but only 57 per cent of those who intend to have more children will use the same facility for future births,” the report shows.
According to the report, mistreatment of girls was not limited to health providers as adult patients were judgmental and discriminatory as well.
“Some girls overheard other patients gossip about their young age and speculate about their mode of delivery."
“They were saying, this girl is still young, she will deliver through caesarean,” one of the adolescents interviewed said.
The study highlights the challenges faced by pregnant and parenting adolescents in Korogocho, an informal settlement in Nairobi, and provides recommendations on how to support them.
