Teens Pregnancy Issues

Pregnancy is naturally a thing of joy for most women especially when one has been trying so hard to get pregnant but what happens when it's a teenager who's got a bun in the oven?

It's not a new thing these days to hear that teenagers are in relationships or any friendship that requires them to be intimate, sometimes resulting in pregnancy and often not prepared for. I know a girl who wasn't in a relationship with a boy but ended up getting pregnant for him and I'm sure you can guess what happened next; all his sweet words were lost in the wind, his caring persona suddenly disappeared and he denied ever doing anything with her. Cliché? Yes, so it may seem but it is true and a good example of what happens mostly when a teenage girl gets pregnant outside wedlock.

Often, while unplanned, most girls would still prefer that their partner supports them and stay with them but it doesn't happen in most cases which leaves room for trauma and depression in addition to the fear of what the family or society might say or do. In essence, here are a few things one can do when they find out that a teenage girl is pregnant.

Case in Point

Recently, there was a viral story on all media platforms of a pregnant young girl who went to a government health facility to look for buyers for her unborn child because the father of the child abandoned her and she knew that she couldn’t afford to take care of the baby as well as cope with the stigma of having a child as a teen.

The girl was obviously ready to risk it all just to avoid stigma or not being able to fit back into society as a single teen mum.

Some girls end up using quacks to abort the baby secretly and this often causes them permanent damage or in the worst-case scenario loss of life.

To all the teen girls out there, I have this message for you:

· Never be under pressure to risk your life just to satisfy people because those same people will talk should anything happen to you.

· Talk to someone close or a professional when you find yourself in this type of situation any situation that your feel that your life is threatened.

· Do not make any quick or rash decisions out of fear.

· Learn more about women’s reproductive health early. You can ask your parents, or a reproductive health expert or search the internet for answers from reliable sources such as World Health Organisation or Unicef websites.

· Do not dwell on your mistakes forever but move on and try to make something out of your life.

· If you were a victim of rape which resulted in pregnancy, speak up and get immediate help from a professional.

· Avoid sharing your problems with those can’t are not capable of offering you the right help or advice.

· Surround yourself with people who care for you, it's all you need during that time and yes it is hard but you will need to tell your family about it, especially about your decision at the end of the day.

To all the parents and guardians, this is for you:

· It can be hard for you to come to terms with knowing that your ‘innocent’ baby girl is pregnant but you have to be strong for her. It is normal to be angry and disappointed but don’t let it escalate to the extent of sending the girl out of the house as most parents would.

· Support the girl physically and emotionally, especially in rape cases.

· Avoid being abusive either physically or emotionally as that would be the wrong way to go about it because it could lead to depression or even breed suicidal or harmful thoughts.

· Talk more about women’s reproductive health with her or seek help from an expert if you don’t know how.

· Do not put her life on hold or ask her to stop chasing her dreams rather encourage her to continue from where she left off by providing her with all she needs.

Helpful Report

Statistics from 2015-2020 show that 27.2% of births in West and Central Africa are from girls below the age of 18. Teenage pregnancy can happen to anyone and can typically affect the girl's lifestyle, education and mental health, so support any pregnant teen or teen mum you know and help her get her life back on track.