Unintended Pregnancies among University Students: Sources and Implications for Health Education Programs

Abstract

Unintended pregnancies among young girls remains a serious public health concern worldwide. Early child bearing has been associated with increased vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in sub Saharan Africa. Moreover, HIV infection and pregnancy are indicators that young people are engaging in unprotected sex. Notably, 34% of all new HIV infections in 2017 occurred among young people. Previous studies on adolescents and youths SRH have indicated that only about two thirds of unintended pregnancies end in childbirth, while a third end up in unsafe abortions further complicating the problem. Despite this, many young people still engage in unsafe sex, and it’s not uncommon to notice many cohabiting couples within University set ups. Many health communication interventions have focused more on intergenerational sex and sex for favors (sponsors) while ignoring unsafe sexual relationships among cohabiting students that is slowly becoming a norm. This study sought to establish sources of unintended pregnancies among university students. Cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between the months of April and July, 2018. Snowballing technique was used to reach 74 currently pregnant and student mothers below 25 years studying at Kirinyaga University in Kenya. 64% of the respondents come from single parents’ family with a majority, (82%) from mother only families. 24% reported that they had their first sexual encounter before 18 years of age. 82 % of the respondents reported that the men responsible for their pregnancies were aged 24-26 years. 76%, of these men were students while 12% were casual workers within the neighboring community. 29% of the girls were living together (cohabiting) with their boyfriends during the time of conception. The main sources of health information to the respondents were social media and health care professionals at 26% and 17% respectively. Only 46% used a contraceptive method before pregnancy. Male condom was widely used at 62% followed by Safe days (natural methods) at 30%. The main source of unintended pregnancies among University students are their peers, contradicting the much held belief of transactional/intergenerational sex. There is need for urgent review of our health education and communication strategies to shift focus to cohabitation among University students. Keywords: Unintended pregnancies, sex.