Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Teenage Pregnancy, and Digital Health Promotion: Evidence from Secondary Schools in Luampa District, Zambia

Kunda Kelvin, Dr.Sumathi K. Sripathi

Comprehensive Sexuality Education; Teenage Pregnancy; Adolescent Health; Zambia; Digital Health Promotion; Sexual Health Literacy.

Teenage pregnancy remains one of the most significant obstacles to girls’ educational participation and completion in sub-Saharan Africa, with Zambia recording among the highest adolescent fertility rates in the region. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) has been identified globally as an evidence-based intervention for reducing teenage pregnancy rates, delaying sexual debut, and increasing contraceptive knowledge and use among adolescents. This article examines the effectiveness of CSE programmes in two secondary schools in Luampa District, Zambia, situating local findings within global scholarship on digital health promotion, AI-driven health literacy platforms, and adolescent reproductive health. Findings reveal that CSE, where effectively implemented, significantly improves adolescent sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and decision-making; however, implementation is constrained by teacher embarrassment, parental resistance, inadequate training, and limited integration of digital health resources. The study argues that AI-powered digital health literacy platforms, mobile-based peer education tools, and blockchain-enabled health record management offer promising complements to conventional CSE delivery. Policy recommendations are offered.

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