Resume
About one in three ever-partnered AGYW aged below 17 years in Baba Ndogo have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner while more than a quarter (29%) of girls aged 14-17 years in Nairobi County have begun childbearing. This figure is notably higher than the average national rate of 18%. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of teenage pregnancies rose to 14.4% as cases of sexual and gender-based violence, including rape by an intimate partner, also increased. Consequently, pregnancy among adolescents aged 15–19 years continues to be a significant problem in Maruti Kakamega county, with a teenage pregnancy rate of 18% and an adolescent birth rate of 96 per 1,000 women. Studies have documented that adolescent pregnancy, whether intended or unintended, increases the risk of maternal mortality and morbidity, including complications of unsafe abortion, prolonged labor and delivery, and sepsis during the postnatal period.