| dc.description.abstract | Women all over the world are discriminated against right from
birth in all areas of life including education, health and
employment among others. Several efforts are, however, being made
towards rectifying the situation. This problem is more precarious
as a result of lack of adequate and complete female education,
which is compounded by school-girls dropping out from school as a
result of early pre-marital pregnancies. If early premarital
sexual relationships can be discouraged then pre-marital pregnacies
would be avoided and females can then be adequately equipped to
compete for equal rights and fair treatment.
The main objectives of the study is to find out some of the
socio-environmental factors that influence the decision of an
adolescent to initiate sexual relationships as well as find out to
some extent the kind of solutions the youth themselves would like
to see. The rationale of the study is that once the determinants of
teenage premarital sex is known then preventing teenage pregnancies
would become easier.
The sample size of the study was 1,006 adolescent girls in
forms two, three and four school-girls who were randomly selected
from secondary schools in different parts of Nairobi city.
In the crosss tabulation analysis, type of school attended by
adolescent girls, (especially girls-only day and boarding schools).
is a very important determining factor in adolescent premarital sex.
Also significant are adolescent's knowledge of family life
Location or any other sex related education, mother's age at first
birth, mother's marital status at first birth, the absence of a
close relationship between adolescents and their mothers,
relationships with both the opposite sex and sexually active
friends of the same sex, pregnancy to an unmarried sister or any
other close family, and adequacy of pocket money.
While the regression analysis found specifically that
respondents whose mothers' were aged between 13 and 18 years at
first birth and those who do not have adequate pocket money are
more likely to influence an adolescents decision to go into
premarital sex. So are respondents who do not have boyfriend, a
sexually active close friend and who attend girls only type of
schools are less likely to initiate premarital sexual relationships.
There was no significant relationship between respondents
aspirations for higher education, opinion about school, mother's
current marital status and sex related discussions with mother by
both the cross tabulation and regression analysis: While in addition
to the above variables the presence of an unmarried pregnant sister
or close family and close ;relationship with mother were not
included in the regression equation.
In conclusion, the major findings of the study were found to
be things that are beyond the control of the adolescents
except for the personal relationships the youths are involved in.
Specifically adolescent relationships with other people including
friends of both sexes, mothers and sisters were important factors
vi
In adolescent sexuality. Mothers are role models and they also
spend more time with the children than any other family member.
They should, therefore, strive for the removal of all situations
that can corrupt their daughters and encourage them to engage in
premarital sex. The respondents in this study also suggested
parents as the ideal communication channel of the type of
information and education they needed in this respect.
The study therefore recommends that greater emphasis should be
placed on information and education to the youths. In view of the
relunctance on the part of policy-makers to take a firmer stand on
the introduction of Family Life Education to schools in Nairobi,
informal means of education should be devised by agencies
i~terested in this issue. These organisations should bear in mind
the early age of adolescents at first intercourse and should
therefore design programmes to cater for such young ages. It is my
-believe that the introduction of family life education or any other ..
sex-related education to aadolescents in conjunction with career
discussion will be an ideal approach that is not likely to be
counter productive in any way at all.
The study further recommends for studies of this nature in
other parts of the country with, more variables other than those
used in this study and with a different target group. There is need
at this time for further investigations on the impact of family
life education on adolescent sexuality | en |
