Half of Kenyan women active sexually, but only 36pc using condoms

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 5 – A new national survey has revealed that Kenyan women begin having sex at a median age of 18, with some experiencing their first sexual encounter before turning 15.

The 2025–26 Kenya Mini Demographic and Health Survey (KMDHS) conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that 3 in 20 women aged 25–49 had their first sexual encounter before age 15, while 10 in 20 had done so by age 18.

The findings according to KNBS raise questions about teenage sexual health, early exposure to sexual activity and the need for stronger reproductive health education among young people.

The survey also found that 47 per cent of women aged 15–49 had been sexually active in the four weeks preceding the survey.

Among women aged 15–24, 22 per cent reported having had sex with a non-cohabiting partner in the previous 12 months.

Condom use remains a concern, with only one in three women reporting that a condom was used during their last sexual encounter.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Director General Macdonald Obudho said the survey was designed to provide a timely update of key demographic, nutrition and health indicators between full survey rounds.

“The findings are intended to inform the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of population, health, and development programmes at both the national and county levels,” Obudho said.

The survey collected data from 5 November 2025 to 10 February 2026, using a nationally representative sample of 29,935 households.