YOUNG AND PREGNANT

TEENAGE PREGNANCIES

Much debate in our society has been around teenage pregnancies and the teens are now an endangered species. I believe that the youths are the future of this country, we need to protect and guide them on how to become responsible adults, not forgetting to help them reach their adulthood. Who is a teenager? Somebody might ask. A person aged between 13 and 19. It would be so unfortunate to meet such young of an age with a swollen potbelly in the name of being pregnant.  Afather? One that doesn`t beget sweet humor to my ears.

The rate of teenage pregnancies is on the increase, an indication of the fact that we have failed to stop this scourge. We must bring together all sectors of the community to this effort. Everyone has a roll to play. Surprisingly, everybody wants to preach NO TO SEX and this monotony has taken its toll. I am a believer of this too, NO TO SEX and I know that the best way is just to abstain. But take a moment, see how threats such as diseases, being un-Godly and even unwanted pregnancy itself seems to have lost meaning to teens. It is time we try just more than this. We must take time and first know the causes before we come up with solutions. Otherwise we are fast becoming irrelevant.

Some of the causes we know of include; 

Adventure and fun: most teens have this feeling of wanting to find out the sex feeling. During counseling, many often forget to address this. The inner me fighting the body I am. Teach me how I can calm my own feelings down. I cry for sex education. Help us understand our feelings. Stop telling us not to have them, because already we do.

Poverty: do not underrate how pangs of poverty can take someone. We should be more considerate before pointing fingers at some immoral behaviors. I may not have a solution to this, but still guidance and counselling will do. Parents need to take up responsibility and make their children feel satisfied at their level. Poverty is a relative word. Let the teens understand there is better in the future and help then realize it. 

Peer pressure: I do not want to talk about this anymore. Stop telling your children to not keep certain friends. Instead, make that friend a person you would wish your child to have around.

Societal causes: rape, molestation, defilement, child trafficking, drug and substance abuse, to mention but a few, let us just follow the law.  Let justice take its cause otherwise we can never solve this.

Now that there is no schooling, we all need to understand the risks involved and do something. COVID 19 should not be the reason for our girls to become mothers at a very tender age.

By preventing teenage pregnancies, we can significantly improve other more serious social problems. It should not hold the community at ransom as it is at the moment.