MWANGI ALVIN: End teen pregnancies to stop new HIV infections

As the world marked World AIDS day yesterday, more efforts should be put to eliminate new HIV infections, especially among young people and adolescents.

According to the National AIDs Control Council 2018 report, an estimated 1.4 million persons were living with HIV while the new infections were at 44,789.

Recently, National Council for Population and Development released a new teenage pregnancies data report that shows adolescent and teenage girls are affected by stigma, drop out of school among other effects.

In the report, the major drivers of pregnancies include sexual violence, lack of inadequate information and services on reproductive health amongst others.

Ending social and health issues that affect adolescents and young people in all our diversities is key in ensuring a productive economy and making sure they can stay in school, work and grow the economy.

In December 2013, Education and health ministries from 20 East and Southern African countries endorsed and affirmed their commitment to better health outcomes for adolescents and young people in the region.

In their agreement, known as the ESA commitment, they pledged to increase coverage of comprehensive sex education, increase access to sexual reproductive health services, reduce unplanned and unintended pregnancies and eliminate child marriages and gender-based violence among young people in the region by 2020.

Kenya being one of the signatories to the ESA commitments has made strides in the targets but a lot more is needed to ensure that all adolescents and young people live free from any social and health challenges that are preventable.

As of January – October, Nairobi had recorded 2379 cases according to the launched report.

Adolescent pregnancy puts girls and women at heightened risk of contracting HIV, STIs and Cervical cancer.

CSE seeks to give students, the knowledge, attitude, skills and values to make informed appropriate and healthy choices about their sexuality and lifestyle.

Comprehensive Sex Education involves giving age-appropriate and culturally sensitive sexuality education to adolescents and young people.

Ending adolescent and teenage pregnancies should be a collective effort through an inter-ministerial approach and role.

The Ministry of Health should continue to offer services to survivors of this form of sexual violence, The Ministry of Interior and Coordination together with the Judiciary should effect arrests of suspects and perpetrators and put them to book.

Recommitting to the ESA commitments will reduce adolescent pregnancies and new HIV infections.

We must end inequalities to end HIV infections because that is where gender-based violence and issues like teenage pregnancies stem from.

This year's World AIDs day national theme is “End teenage pregnancy towards eliminating inequalities and new HIV infections.”

From an early preventative approach availing information, education on social and health issues, sex education remains vital.

Sexual reproductive health and rights expert

Edited by Kiilu Damaris