Nominated Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki. [Photo/Nation.co.ke]
A section of Reproductive Health Crusaders has asked for the introduction of teenagers between the age of 15-17 years to family planning to reduce cases of abortion and teenage pregnancy among the youth.
Introducing teenagers below the age of 18 years to family planning in an effort reduce teenage pregnancy has been an ongoing discussion in the public domain with some opposing as other supporting.
The two factions have had their justification regarding the whole idea of introducing the teenagers to family planning.
According to a medic and crusader for reproductive health rights for young people, Seth Midenyo, the advocacy, which has been done has not yielded enough fruits in reducing teenage pregnancy and therefore there is need to also introduce teenaged of age between 15-17 to family planning to not only reduce teenage pregnancy but to also reduce abortion cases.
Mr. Midenyo says that his analysis as an advocate for reproductive health rights of the young people in Migori county, indicates that cases of abortion among teenagers is on the rise, a number revealed by cases of post-abortion care handled at various health facilities.
One case of a successful abortion and two attempted cases of abortion were reported in Migori County in the past one week.
The latest incident was reported on Friday where a form two school girls walked into Migori level four hospital facility to ask for abortion services after the parents threw her out of the home because of pregnancy.
Among the three cases of abortion involve two from four students in Migori County who are also facing murder and attempted murder charges at Migori court.
According to Mr. Midenyo, a lot of intervention including introducing the teenagers to family planning is necessary to avert the ballooning cases of abortion if not teenage pregnancy.
He said leaving the girls to get pregnant and procure an abortion is riskier because it involves killing than introducing the teenagers to safe contraceptives.
Mr. Midenyo, however, asked the teenagers to desist from early intimacy to reduce cases of teenage pregnancy.