Use of Contraceptives Among Adolescents and Their Effects in Preventing Pregnancy: a Case of Kawangware Slum Area in Nairobi City County

Abstract

The study sought to investigate the use of contraceptives and its effect on adolescent pregnancy among poor urban communities. In so doing, the study was guided by five objectives; to establish the prevalence of pregnancy among adolescents in poor urban communities, to assess the level of contraceptives knowledge among adolescents in poor urban communities. To establish the aims of using contraceptives among adolescents in poor urban communities, to investigate the factors influencing the usage of contraceptives among adolescents in poor urban communities, to establish the relationship between pregnancy and contraceptives among adolescents in poor urban communities and to establish the aims of using contraceptives among adolescents in poor urban communities. The study employed a descriptive research design. A total of 138 adolescents were sampled using stratified and random sampling procedure and their views,which were collected by use of questionnaires, analysed descriptively with the help of SPSS software. The findings of the study reveals that high pregnancy rates were as result of peer pressure, poverty levels of the families of adolescent girls which push the girls to look for security and they get lured in relationships, risky sexual behavior and lack of sexual awareness among the adolescent girls, the finding also reveals that the unintended pregnancies were associated with the rate of use of contraceptives by adolescents. The study concludes that the pregnancy rates among adolescent girls in poor urban communities are high. The study concludes that there is high use of contraceptives among adolescent in poor urban communities. The study recommends that there is need to come up with policies or programmes that address the contraceptive needs of adolescents and remove barriers to services. Channels should be created where adolescents can get accurate information on the use of contraceptives. This should be coupled with provision of adolescent-friendly health care services.