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Nairobi , November 25, 2006

First Lady and Patron of the Kenya Girl Guides Association, Mrs. Lucy Kibaki launches the KGGA website (www.kgga.co.ke) at the association head office in Nairobi

First Lady cautions adolescents on early sexual activity

First Lady Lucy Kibaki has today cautioned adolescents against engaging in early sexual activity as it exposes them to a wide range of reproductive health problems including HIV/AIDS.

Speaking on the subject of adolescent reproductive health when she presided over the re-launching of the Kenya Girl Guides Association and a fundraising in support of the Associations activities in Nairobi, the First Lady expressed concern that almost 6 percent of young women aged 15 to 24 are already infected with HIV/AIDS.

The First Lady further expressed concern sexual relationships among adolescents in Kenya begin at an early age and are usually short-lived. She noted that starting early in life, adolescent sexual relationships "break and are replaced, which means young girls will have had multiple sexual partners by the time they get married".

She noted that it is unfortunate that sexual activity among adolescents is usually unprotected which exposes partners to sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.

She pointed out that besides the danger of HIV/AIDS infection, early sexual activity has resulted in a high incidence of teenage mothers saying that the results of a 2003 survey show that almost a quarter of the young women aged 12-19 in the country were either pregnant with their first child or are already mothers.

She added that in spite of the multiple maternal health dangers involved, less than half of teenage mothers receive skilled care during delivery and most them deliver at home in unhygienic conditions under the care of either traditional birth attendants, relatives or alone.

She further pointed out that early sexual activity was the cause of the high incidence of unsafe abortions among young girls adding that "estimates of abortions performed on teenage women range from 1 million to 4.4 million per year while 48 per cent of the abortion cases are accounted for by adolescents and youth aged between 14 and 24 years."

Mrs. Kibaki stressed the need to educate adolescents that the key to avoiding reproductive health problems is abstaining from sexual activity until marriage.

Said Mrs. Kibaki, "It is only by sexual abstention that our young girls and boys can escape from HIV/AIDS infection. It is also through abstention that girls can avoid early pregnancies that expose them to dangers of maternal health problems as well as deny them a chance to education. We must also discourage young girls from seeking abortion, as it contributes significantly to maternal morbidity and mortality".

The First Lady urged young girls and boys who have already engaged in relationships, to abstain and undergo counseling and testing saying it is sad that despite the high rate of infection among adolescents, few of them go for counseling and testing. She noted that in 2002 only 4 percent of girls and 9 percent of boys aged 15-19 years had been tested and received results.

Observing that adolescence is an adventurous stage in life in which youngsters are given to a wide range of experimentation, Mrs. Kibaki called on parents and teachers to educate children on matters of sexuality and to take their role of providing guidance and protection to children seriously.

The First Lady noted that on its part, the Government was fully aware of the reproductive health challenges facing the adolescents and has initiated measures to address the health concerns of girls and boys.

She pointed out "in addition to the general improvements in health care services countrywide, the Government has initiated measures to specifically address the health concerns of adolescents. In this regard, an adolescent health and development policy and its plan of action have already been developed. The policy and plan of action are geared toward setting up comprehensive youth friendly services that target adolescents".

She added that the Government also developed National Guidelines for Youth Friendly Service Provision, which are intended to provide direction on how to set up centres where the youth can access reproductive health information and services.

Said Mrs. Kibaki, "The Government has a target of setting up 60 youth centres within our existing health facilities. Already the establishment of youth centers has been initiated in Nakuru and Nyeri Provincial General Hospitals, among other health facilities".

Mrs. Lucy Kibaki acknowledged the important role that the Kenya Girl Guides Association has continued to play in enhancing the welfare of girls and young women and hailed all stakeholders for their commitment in realizing the objectives of the Association.

Noting that the association has just over 155,000 members which represents a small fraction of the population of girls and young women in the country, the First Lady said there is need to strengthen the Association in order to reach out to more girls and young women and enable them develop to their fullest potential.

During the occasion the First Lady who was bestowed the honour of the patron of the Kenya Girl Guides donated kshs 300,000 in aid of its activities.

Earlier the First Lady had launched Kenya Girl Guides Association website.

Other speakers were the Minister of State, Youth Affairs Mohammed Kuti,Nominated MP Njoki Ndungu, Lady Justice Joyce Alouch and the Chief commissioner of Kenya Girl Guides Association Wamuyu Mudhune among others.

Present were the Nairobi Provincial Commissioner James Waweru and other senior government officials.