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Reproductive Healthcare Bill 2014 means well for our children


Traditionally, it was (is) an abomination for a young girl who still lives in her parents’ house to get pregnant. Cases of unmarried girls getting pregnant were rare, and were often condemned. They were rare phenomena because sex education was offered to both boys (by their fathers and grandfathers) and girls (by their mothers and grandmothers). The children were educated on how to relate with the opposite sex in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies- before marriage.
Sex was a sacred act and was not meant for non-adults. For one to become an adult, he/she had to undergo a rite of passage.

As I was going through the Kenya Gazzete Supplement No. 57 (Senate Bills No. 17), I came across an important clause…


According to the bill, an adolescent is any person between the ages of 10-17. From the above provision of the bill, it is only prudent to say that the proposed sex education to children will be friendly and informative and will not corrode the morals of children.

It is worth noting that in the recent past the country has witnessed several cases of unwanted teenage pregnancies. Many have lost their lives in the process of giving birth, others have been disowned by their parents and treated as outcasts by the society and even their own families. Some teenagers have committed suicide owing to the threats by their guardians and parents to literary kill them because of unwanted pregnancy.

Introducing sex education to our children in primary and secondary schools as proposed by the Senate Bill means well to them and the society at large. Information is power. It is important for our children to know the pros and cons of using contraceptives through formal education, rather than keeping them in the dark, away from such vital information.

I believe that if children are educated in a friendly and in an open manner, cases of unwanted pregnancies, abortions and deaths during birth giving will decline. Through this education the children will also be taught on measures to take to avoid contracting and spreading of the deadly HIV virus. 
Accepting and talking about a problem which has been a thorn in the flesh of our society for decades now can only solve it and not worsen the current situation.

I therefore strongly believe that the Reproductive Healthcare Bill 2014 means well and should be passed by the Senate.

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