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<\/p>\nIn a world where tradition meets modernity and youth are searching for answers, the need for comprehensive education about sexuality is more important than ever. This is especially true in a country like Kenya, where in 2024 an estimated 21% of girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 have still suffered some form of female genital mutilation (1) and (as of 2018) 25,000 deaths per year can be attributed to HIV infection (2). Furthermore, unintended pregnancies exacerbate the challenges for single mothers, who often face a lack of support and resources. <\/p>\n
I am Anna Haerty, 25 years old, and after successfully completing my medical studies in the summer of 2023, I fulfilled my dream of spending three months as a volunteer at the Maisha Mazuri Children’s Center to immerse myself in Kenyan life and its traditions. After this experience, I am more convinced than ever that proper sex education is a key to overcoming some socioeconomic problems. This was the motivation behind my desire to tackle this taboo topic in open conversations in small groups, both with the children of the MCC, the primary and secondary schools, and with the children’s legal guardians. <\/p>\n
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What surprised me was the great interest and openness with which we dove into deep conversations, even after just a short introduction. Regardless of the age group, the Q sessions always far exceeded the scheduled lesson time. Lively discussions broke out among the participants, usually accompanied by a lot of giggling and laughter, especially with questions like: “If I’m a virgin and I’m going to have sex for the first time, what will happen?”, “Is it okay to touch my vagina from the inside when I wash myself?” or “What are wet dreams?”. <\/p>\n
The topics of the assignments and games in the seminars varied according to age, as did the questions that followed. The younger girls (primary school) asked many questions about the first menstrual period, sexual intercourse, and pregnancy: “How can I know that I’m pregnant?”, “What is a tampon?”, “Is period blood something dirty or unhygienic?”, “If you’re a virgin, can you still get your period?” and “Is it okay for me to touch my vagina?”. Questions that were more difficult to answer due to cultural reasons included: “Is it bad to have sex before marriage?”, “Are gay people bad people?”, “Am I no longer a virgin if I use a tampon?”. This is where sensitivity is required to maintain the balance between the Western view of appropriate sex education and Kenyan culture and law. <\/p>\n
The teenagers in secondary school are already interested in more complex topics. I was asked by them to talk more about the topics of “morality vs. immorality in sexual intercourse,” “early\/teenage pregnancy,” “sexually transmitted diseases,” “sexual abuse,” and the “effects of consuming pornography.” <\/p>\n
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I invited the legal guardians to four-hour morning workshops, where to my delight, “Health Care Promoters” from the region also appeared for their own further training. Many of this older generation had never experienced any sex education in their lives, and a few conservative voices were heard, especially regarding modern methods of contraception: “Is it ever possible to give birth to children again after using contraceptives?”, “Tell us more about the side effects of contraceptives!”. However, there was also great interest in female physiology: “Where does the period go after menopause?”, “What are the blood clots in the period?”, “How do twin pregnancies happen?” and “What are possible reasons for infertility?”. The older ladies were also concerned about their husbands and asked: “Can a lack of sexual intercourse lead to urinary retention in older men?” or “Can a hysterical woman be the reason for her husband’s mental illness?”. <\/p>\n
I am grateful that the ladies also shared their life wisdom and taught me how they cleverly find solutions to avoid expensive feminine hygiene products, how to use natural contraception, and how to give birth to children at home.<\/p>\n
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It was a great pleasure for me to be able to implement this passion project, and I am infinitely grateful to the children and young people, as well as the staff of the Maisha Mazuri Children’s Center and Hand in Hand f\u00fcr Kenia e.V., for three months that I will never forget.<\/p>\n
Asante Sana!<\/p>\n
Anna Haerty<\/p>\n
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Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n