Understanding Dangers Of Teenage Pregnancy

Statistics released by Save the Children, a worldwide-based Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, revealed that every year women below the age of 20 give birth to 13 million children worldwide. In Nigeria, the prevalent rate of the phenomenon ranges from about 143 per one thousand pregnancies. By most accounts, this shows a progressive increase of teem pregnancies in the country. Some Nigerians have described it as an ill that destroys the lives of our young people through various risks associated with the development .

Undoubtedly, the event poses several challenges that afflict most families both rich and poor. Teenage pregnancy is considered “bad news” in a typical Nigerian culture and the victims usually suffer ostracism.

Dr. Godstime Njoku of Christian Home Clinic in Port Harcourt confirmed the increasing rate of teenage pregnancies in the country. He attributed it to the ever/declining moral values in the society. According to him, given the state of health institutions in the country and poor infrastructure, an average pregnant teenager faced the risk of death, particularly those who resided in the rural areas. Hear him:

“The increasing rate of teenage pregnancies is no longer controversial because it has taken a centre stage in our society. But what is of concern are the low chances of mother and child surviving in such conditions. Those in the rural areas with poor health facilities are prone to those conditions owing to obstructed and prolonged labour.”

Some Nigerians equally expressed concern for the growing incident of teenage pregnancies. They noted that its prevalence was so high that it could be found in many neighbourhood. This, they said, had led to avoidable crises in homes and communities. They urged the government at various tiers to focus on the menace, provide solution to it in order to save youths from an impending danger.

They equally called on non-governmental organisations, professional bodies and religious groups to work out programmes that would sensitise youths on the dangers of the menace.  The International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, a body that comprises women lawyers in the country, was particularly tasked and asked to take the lead in the proposed efforts to sensitise the youths on the matter.

“This is not a battle for an individual alone to fight. It is a collective one. All organisations and bodies must be involved in it. Women lawyers should through their body, FIDA, take the lead here. I am worried about the development because of the harm it does to our young girls as well  as their male counterparts, who also have to be sensitised on the consequences of early fatherhood”, Mrs Ibiso Waribo, a retired principal, says:

Continuing, Mrs. Waribo blamed parents for abandoning their responsibilities to their children by deserting them to the vagaries of perverted societal values that degraded their self-worth and education.

“Good parenting is the secret. Yes, good parenting. Unfortunately, child upbringing cannot be contracted to a consultant or contractor as many parents are inclined to doing.  Good parenting invariably saves parents a lot of problems”, Waribo adds.

Mrs Opuda Paul, a nurse based in Port Harcourt, proffered a biological explanation for the cause of the malaise. For her, factors such as good nutrition and rapid growth in modern-day children had induced some emerging challenges such as early menstruations in girls. She also attributed the ill to abject poverty in some homes where female children, desperate to satisfy certain needs, became vulnerable to immoral acts,” Paul states:

“Girls from poor background are more inclined to promiscuity for monetary gains and that exposed them to the risk of becoming pregnant in the process”, and added that greed was only a factor as people could still maintain their dignity amidst poverty.

But Mr. Godwill Ekwukwu, a businessman, disagreed with the view that parents were liable and argued that no one could be solely apportioned blame for the ugly incident. Ekwukwu admitted that his business had exposed him to the character of his children. He noted that the prodivity in teenagers towards immoral acts could be attributed to their upbringing. Such upbringing, he said, could pose serious problems to parents despite close monitoring .

“Even if you lock some girls in the room they will still go out”, Ekwukwu said and agreed with Mr Paul that the girl-child should be provided sound sex education.

Mr. Jumoye Erekeosima, a business man and father of two, asserted that parents should not be blamed entirely for the problem.

“Child upbringing remains a collective responsibility of parents, school administrators, girls themselves and the success of the whole exercise depends on God’s mercy”, he argues.

However, he scolded parents who were unserious about the moral training of their children, particularly those in the rural areas, who were hardly bothered about the movements of their children and the kind of friends they kept.

A 14-year old secondary school student, who simply gave her name as Justina, claimed that some parents should be held accountable for the increasing problem of teenage pregnancy. She said these parents deny their female children care thus, exposing them to evil men. She, nevertheless, admitted that some girls were wayward and could hardly control then libido, regardless of all efforts to bridle them.

On his part, a legal practitioner, Barrister Atakpa Tambou, advised students against engaging  in pre-marital sex to avoid early pregnancy and abortion which, he added, amounted to a crime, as it was outlawed.

He, however, insisted that teenage girls had some rights and privileges such as right to life, movement, dignity, education etc. He, nonetheless, advised that the rights should not be abused as they were not without corresponding responsibilities and duties to their parents and the nation. Tambou warned students against viewing pornographic films and reading similar literature.

Speaking on the dangers of early pregnancy, Dr. Njoku claimed that both mother and baby were at considerable risk since the body of a teenage girl was not always mature enough to handle pregnancy and the stress involved. He further listed danger to the fetus, socio-economic disadvantages and emotional consequences as other risk of teenage pregnancy. He found emotional trauma as particularly dangerous and most disgusting among others.

“Emotional consequences of teenage pregnancy is the worst of them all. Some teen mothers see children as unwanted and abandon them eventually. There may also be a tendency to commit suicide”, Njoku concludes.

Arnold Alalibo