Ever-use of Contraceptives among Sexually Experienced Kenyan Secondary School Girls

Abstract

A nationwide /{AP study was conducted in September 1992 to establish aspects of Adolescent Fernale /-lea/th and Sexuality including contraception among girls attending secondary schools in Kenya. Using randomising and standard cluster sampling statistical procedures, 10,314 girls from 17 of Kenya's 42 districts were selected and the girls voluntarily completed a self-administered questionnaire. Among 10,010 respondents whose data was analyzed, 3436 (34.3%) reported having had at least one sexual intercourse in the past. Of the sexually experienced girls, 8.5% had this experience by the age of 10 years and by 16 years, 75% of them had acquired this experience. The ever-used rate of contraception was found to be 17.6% i.e. 575 out of 3265 sexually experienced girls had ever-used contraceptives. Majority of the girls who had ever-used contraceptives (72%), used the following modem contraceptives: oral pills - 47%, IUDs - 10%, diaphragms - 8% and injectables - 7%. The remaining 28% used "other methods". About 1% of girls who had ever-used contraceptives, did so when they were 14 years or younger. The ever-used rate of condoms by male sex partners of respondents was also enquired into and the following responses were obtained: never used condom - 51%, sometimes used condom - 22.5%, and always-used condom - 26.5%.