Teen pregnancy, female genital mutilation still rife in Kaduna, C/River — Report

A recent report has shown that teen pregnancy and female genital mutilation are among top sexual and reproductive health challenge confronting young people in Cross River, Kaduna and Ondo States. The report, tagged “Youth Sexual Health Alliance Situational Analysis Report,  which was unveiled in Abuja this week by Education as Vaccine (EVA) showed that young […]

A recent report has shown that teen pregnancy and female genital mutilation are among top sexual and reproductive health challenge confronting young people in Cross River, Kaduna and Ondo States.

The report, tagged “Youth Sexual Health Alliance Situational Analysis Report,  which was unveiled in Abuja this week by Education as Vaccine (EVA) showed that young people are exposed to sex early in life and do not have adequate access to contraceptives.

The Executive Director of EVA, Olabukunola Williams, who was represented by Mr. Patrick Ewerem at the event, said there was need for increased awareness on the sexual and reproductive challenges of young people.

He said most parents do not start sex education for their children on time and this creates challenges for the children.

The report found that the average age at sexual debut is 15 in Cross River State and approximately 58 percent of young people aged 20 to 24 have had their first sexual encounter within this age range.

The report stated that a comprehensive knowledge about HIV prevention is limited to 26 percent of the 15 to 24 age group in Cross River.

In Cross River, 32 percent of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced some form of female genital mutilation ranging from cutting with no flesh removed to infibulation.

Similarly,  Approximately 52 per cent of youth, 15 to 24 use condoms with non-regular partners in Kaduna and only about 17 per cent of them engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors in the year preceding the survey.

The report indicated that with the high numbers of adolescents and young women in marriages, it is not surprising that 21 percent of teenagers aged 15 to 19 have been pregnant in Kaduna.

Only about 33 percent of young people in Ondo State engage in condom use with non- regular partners.

In Ondo State, 39 per cent of ages 20-24 and 10 per cent of ages 15 to 19 respectively, reported sexual debut in those age brackets.