55 Per Cent Of Kenyan Teens Interact With Explicit Content

At least 55 percent of Kenyan teens have watched pornography related content, new survey by research firm Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA) has revealed.

According to TIFA Managing Director Gerry Kweya, the students in primary and secondary schools have interacted with sexual explicit content with 62 percent being male students and 37 percent being female.

The research conducted between January 25 and April 3, was carried out in seven schools in Nairobi and Kiambu counties.

It involved three girls and four boys schools, totaling the number of respondents to 1,141.

The research revealed that 68 percent of the students, rely on the internet, film, and videos for information on sex.

63 percent got the information from their teachers, 60 percent from books and magazines, another 60 percent got the information from friends. 35 percent of the students derived the information on sex from their mothers, 34 percent from siblings, 27 percent from other family members, 24 percent from their father, 23 percent from doctors and 4 percent from other sections i.e. religious organizations.

During the holidays, the research revealed that 70 percent of the students preferred staying at home while 67 percent used the break from school to engage in drug abuse and partying.

66 percent used their holiday to engage in religious activities, 66 percent used the time to visit their boyfriends or girlfriends, 53 percent used the time to attend concerts, 42 percent spent their holidays traveling, 37 percent went for sleepovers and 17 percent used the time to engage in sex.

Further, 43 percent of the students know someone who engaged in sex during the holidays, with the male students having more knowledge at 48 percent than their female counterpart at 30 percent.

According to the research, about 25 percent of the students have engaged in sexual intercourse with the majority of the students being male students at 32 percent compared to the female statistics at 6 percent.

Read:Kisumu Cleanest County, Nairobi Declared Most Improved In Latest TIFA Poll

From the statistics, 73 percent of the students first had a sexual encounter at the age of 13 years.

Interestingly, on contraceptives awareness, the male students, 60 percent, know more about contraceptives than their female counterparts at 47 percent.

The research revealed that majority of the students have an idea of what safe sex is. However, 10 percent believe it’s sex between married people and 6 percent of the students do not know what safe sex is at all.

Kweya reveals that 28 percent of the students would like to tell their parents they love them.

However, 3 percent would love their parents to teach them on sex and relationships.

“Teach me on sex…, I abuse drugs, ….. I am engaging in sex…, allow me to be in a relationship…., warn my sister against forcing me to have sex with her….. and my neighbour tried grabbing me to have sex…… are some of the things the students would want to tell their parents verbatim though they think they won’t be believed,” Kweya said.

Email your news TIPS to news@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254708677607. You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu