A staggering 792,694 abortions were recorded in Kenya in 2023, with an overwhelming 78.6% involving married women, according to a new report by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), the Guttmacher Institute, and Kenya’s Ministry of Health.

The findings challenge common perceptions that abortion is most prevalent among teenagers and unmarried women. Instead, women aged 24 to 34 accounted for the highest number of abortion cases, representing 41.8%, while adolescents under 20 comprised only 13.6%.

The report revealed that of the 2.85 million pregnancies in Kenya last year, approximately 1.44 million were unintended. Of these, more than half ended in abortion.

Driving Factors

Key reasons behind the high abortion rate included a lack of desire for more children, financial hardship, and career aspirations. Many women cited limited access to or fear of using contraceptives, as well as spousal refusal to use family planning methods.

Risky Methods and Health Burden

Although some women accessed safe procedures such as medication abortion and manual vacuum aspiration, others resorted to dangerous methods like inserting sharp objects or consuming toxic substances — highlighting the need for better access to safe reproductive health services.

In 2023, over 304,000 women sought post-abortion care in health facilities, with most cases managed in public and lower-tier hospitals, further burdening the healthcare system.

Regional Disparities

The Central Region and Nairobi recorded the highest number of abortion cases (234,125), followed by Nyanza and Western Kenya with 222,196 cases. These regions also reported high rates of unintended pregnancies, with Nyanza and Western leading at 138.9 per 1,000 women.

Call to Action

The report recommends urgent government action to prevent unintended pregnancies through expanded access to modern contraceptives, improved reproductive health education, and enhanced capacity of lower-level health facilities to provide safe post-abortion care.

This revelation underscores a pressing need for open conversations around reproductive health in Kenya, especially among married couples, and a renewed national focus on family planning and women’s health services.