Girls trade sex for pads in Nyeri slum

High levels of poverty and lack of education on menstrual health in Nyeri County, especially among adolescent girls, have contributed largely to a high number of teen pregnancies.

“In the struggle to observe menstrual health, young mothers living in Majengo slum, Nyeri County, have unwillingly found themselves in unbearable financial situations, with the majority turning into transactional sex to afford menstrual products such as sanitary pads, underwear, and pain killers,” said a local health worker.

According to Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022, Nyeri County had reported 5 percent of teen pregnancies attributed to girls being driven to engage in sex with boda boda riders for pads.

Jane Wanjiku, a mother of three from Majengo slums, shared her early experience, saying, “I was having severe menstrual cramps, I thought I was sick, the teacher explained to me what was happening and bought me a pair of pads then later excused me to go home.”

“I borrowed money from a man living in our neighborhood to buy sanitary pads, only for him to demand sex from me after my periods were over. I did not reject his advances because he promised to support me financially,” she said.

Maureen Wairimu, a mother of one, explained, “He was a class eight dropout, but luckily he was employed as a boda boda rider. He promised to make my life easy, so I ran away from home and started living with him, little did I know that I would become pregnant.”

“In a bid to end stigmatisation and period shame among girls and young mothers, over 2,000 girls from vulnerable families from Majengo slums have benefited with reusable sanitary pads and puberty education from heel4pads foundation,” said Angela Waweru, a mental health curriculum trainer.