Sexual debut among young women in Kenya aged 15-24 years
Abstract
This study set out to investigate the socio-economic factors closely associated with
adolescent age at first sex by using the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2008/9.
The main objective of the study is to explore if there is any association between
education, religion, economic status, exposure to mass media and sexual debut among
adolescents aged 15-24 years. The dependent variable age at first sex was used to
measure sexual debut and the independent variables included; education, religion,
household wealth quintile, exposure to mass media. Another key independent variable
that was taken into account was place of residence. The study sample is 3511 adolescent
women aged 15-24 years obtained from the overall survey sample of 8,444 women aged
15-49 years. This was analysed using life table survival analysis to compute median age
at first sex and bivariate and multivariate analysis using Cox hazard regression to
establish factors associated with early sexual debut. Descriptive analysis shows that
61.9% of the 3511 adolescents aged 15-24 were already sexually experienced as at the
time of the survey. The median age at first sex debut was 16.88 years. The median ages at
first sex supports previous studies that, rural residence; Nyanza region; no education;
lower wealth quintile; exposure to mass media influence early sexual debut. Results of
bivariate and multivariate analysis do not support these earlier studies but were consistent
with recent studies. Variables showing a significant bivariate association with early
sexual debut were: primary and at least secondary education, middle and upper wealth
quintile and non-exposure to mass media. Variables showing a significant bivariate
associated with delayed sexual debut were: rural residence, Central and Coast regions,
Protestants and other Christians. In tke multivariate survival analyses, variables
significantly associated with early sexual debut were: primary and at least secondary
education, middle wealth quintile, Rift Valley and North Eastern region and variables
associated with delayed onset of sexual activity were: no religion and Muslim. Both
bi variate and multivariate depict Education, wealth quintile and region to be significantly
, associated with early sexual debut. The findings suggest that there is need to address
adolescent reproductive health needs in school and conduct further qualitative research to
get insights about the change in pattern in sexual activity among adolescents and the
dynamics in regional variation.
Citation
A Project submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the award of Degree of Master of Arts in Population Studies at the Population Studies and Research Institute (P.S.R.I) of the Upiversity of NairobiPublisher
Department of Population Studies & Research Institute, University of Nairobi