International Youth Day: Access to sexual and reproductive health rights still a challenge

The world is digital and utilising digital platforms can significantly enhance efforts to address sexual and reproductive health rights, HIV-related issues, teen pregnancies & marriage, sexual & gender-based violence, and the general welfare of adolescents and young people of Kenya.

As we mark International Youth Day, it is essential to spotlight the unique challenges faced by Kenyan adolescents and young people in the realm of sexual and reproductive health as one of the issues affecting the present-day youth.

Comprehensive sexual education is still a challenge in schools, hence young people lack enough knowledge that they need to make informed decisions about their lives, especially in regards to sex. Because they are sexually active no?

There is a critical shortage of youth-friendly health services across the country, with many young people having no access to confidential health care where they are not judged or face stigmatization from health providers.

It is not every day that you find a young person, an adolescent, especially in rural areas, walking into a health facility to seek sexual or reproductive health services such as contraceptives or Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) treatment concerns.

For those who can gain access to the above services, especially contraceptives, the age of consent is still an issue in Kenya.

According to the National Reproductive Health Policy 2020/20230, a child’s right to healthcare is the parents’ responsibility and this locks out teenagers between 13 and 17 years of age because their parents must give consent before they receive contraceptives.

The bigger challenge here, again, is, that parents from rural or underserved areas will almost not allow their teen girls to use contraception.

Safe abortion is a contentious issue in Kenya with harsh, endless debates between the law, stakeholders in the health sector and faith leaders.

The law only permits abortion in such circumstances as when the life of the mother is at risk, rape or incest, but despite these legal provisions, young women still seek unsafe forms of backstreet abortions due to lack of money and access to affordable and safe healthcare services.

In the rural areas, girls opt for traditional abortions using herbs given to them by old women in the village.

Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) is still being witnessed in Kenya and according to the last reports by the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS), 34% of women in Kenya have encountered SGBV by the time they are 15 years old.

In addition, 1 out of 4 girls get married early. Teen mothers often face disrupted education with some never going back to school, have limited life opportunities and face increased health risks for themselves and their babies.

Cultural activities like the ongoing traditional rite of passage (circumcision) among the Bukusu community in Bungoma and Transnzoia counties lead to young boys and girls engaging in risky sexual behaviour and sometimes gender-based violence.

If young people at the ceremonies would use available digital platforms to educate vulnerable girls and boys against their risks of teen pregnancies, HIV and STIs, we could reduce these cases.

In June 2024, the Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) held a scientific conference on Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health rights (AYSRHR). Young people’s voices were captured through Ted-Talk-like conversations surrounding their rights to sexual and reproductive health.

This was a safe place for the youth to speak up on the challenges they go through in such topics that are always conversed in hushed tones.

It emerged that young people are indeed sexually active and they need accessible and affordable sexual education and services as early as yesterday!

Nelly Munyasia, the Executive Director for Reproductive Health Network Kenya, emphasizes the need for targeted inventions like using digital platforms to advance and improve access to sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents and the youth.

She says RHNK is using such platforms to empower the youth by using youth advocates to create awareness of self-care and the options that are available to them.

Nelly adds that culture, societal norms and the law prevent young people from accessing health services, and emphasizes that healthcare providers should offer services to young people without bias and stigma.

“Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our young people and build a future where every individual can thrive in health, dignity and equality”; says Ms. Munyasia, a health systems and policy expert.

As a way of using digital platforms, Nena na Binti is a toll-free call centre for young girls (and boys) seeking confidential and comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health information and services.

Because the world is tech and Gen Zers are almost no longer walking into health facilities for such services, this platform offers a secure and safe space for them to freely seek guidance, gain knowledge and make informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health rights. With the prevalence of early sexual activity, the emphasis on digital access to SRH cannot be ignored.

The tech-savvy young generation is moving with a speed we can barely catch up with their syllabus.

Their confidence and openness in addressing issues should be embraced by the older generation, in matters that affect them because, as cliché as it might sound, they are the leaders of tomorrow. And tomorrow is now.

As we mark this year’s International Youth Day, let us remember that the future of our country depends on the health and empowerment of its young people.

We should therefore rethink our commitment to addressing the challenges affecting Kenyan youth, in working together to enhance sexual and reproductive health education and services, to build a brighter, better future for them; From Clicks to Progress.

Happy International Youth Day!