OBJECTIVE
To improve the reproductive health (RH) of young unmarried women.

BACKGROUND
The HRYAC was established in 1990 by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Health Sciences of the University of Nairobi.

The government policy in Kenya opposes the introduction of Family Life Education (FLE) in schools, thereby limiting access to RH information and services to the adolescents especially those who are sexually active.

To address these problems, which included a high rise in clandestine abortions and morbidity, the HRYAC was formed. Originally targeting single women under 25 years of age who suffered abortion complications; it soon extended to women who experienced unintended pregnancies which were carried to term to help them avoid other unwanted pregnancies.

SCOPE
Informing adolescents about the availability of RH resources encompassing all aspects of health care, including preventive, curative and rehabilitative services.

MAIN ACTIVITIES
The HRYAC is a hospital-based clinic providing quality counselling services addressing ‘social’, medical and psychological aspects of ARH simultaneously.

MANAGEMENT FEATURES

Strategy
Making programme hospital-based services available and accessible to all admitted adolescents.

Capacity-Building
Educational and sensitisation seminars for ward nurses and advertising helped recruit personnel with basic counselling skills, social commitments, and the potential for utilising their counselling skills for ARH.

Mobilising Resources

• Empowering clients to enable them to assist others in group counselling.
• Using emergency and gynaecological wards to identify clients.

Managerial Leadership

• Supervision of project activities and ensuring availability and accessibility of services.
• Constant monitoring and evaluation of projects.

EVALUATION FINDINGS

• The broader concepts of providing ARH care have become more acceptable and is now viewed as comprehensive hence enabling more sensitive aspects of contraceptive dispensation to young adults to be addressed.
• Networking and linkages with other departments enable easy referrals to other departments for areas of sub-speciality whenever required.
• Evaluations reveal that the HRYAC has greatly improved the clients’ knowledge of FP, increased FP method acceptance resulting in a decrease in repeat abortions, and improved the RH of young women.