Teenage Pregnancies
The fact that sexual immoralities are increasing exponentially in society today is disturbing and needs to be addressed with a lot of attention and caution. The teenage pregnancies as the outcome of sexual immoralities in the community are no longer breaking news to everyone. It is noted that a good number of girls of the age bracket of 15-24 who are described to be sexually active has increased from 25% to 32% in the past decade. Such practices contribute to greater chances of unexpected pregnancies among the youth population as girls of tender age have been forced to face the wrath of taking the responsibility of their young ones since they have been converted to mothers. Identifying the risks associated with teenage pregnancies and after that coming up with proper mitigation strategies is of a sound approach to help young girls from being exposed to such life-threatening activities.
The majority of the population that is majorly affected by teenage pregnancies is poor rural girls due to lack of proper information and education on youthful sex. Parents of girls in this particular group seem not to take time to educate their girls on how best they can live to avoid being victims of teenage pregnancy. The other factor contributing to high numbers of adolescent pregnancies among youths from low-income family backgrounds is the inability to meet their basic needs due to financial constraints. Therefore, they end up selling their body at the cost of getting financial support to meet their basic demands, thus greatly contributing to teenage pregnancies. The other factor contributing to the high number of adolescent pregnancies is the abuse of drugs and excessive consumption of alcohol among the youth population. Youths seriously abuse drugs and alcohol whose outcomes push them to involve themselves in sexual immoralities such as having unprotected sex hence contributing to unplanned pregnancies.
Teenage pregnancies among youths have serious effects on the lives of teenagers and society at large. Some of these possible effects are life-threatening. Some girls become phobic in sharing their body change behaviors with their parents or guardian after they have conceived. Therefore, they end up seeking abortion practices out of their parent’s knowledge and under unsafe conditions; hence, some of them end up losing their lives. The other risk associated with early pregnancies is the contraction of deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Some youths find themselves in a very narrow cave of life for being a victim of both teenage pregnancies and at the same testing positive for HIV/AIDS. This does not only hamper with their education progress but also deteriorate their health.
Coming up with relevant mechanisms to reduce the high incidences of teenage pregnancies is a move that seeks attention from everyone. Youth education on proper sexual behavior in society at schools by teachers and at home by parents is the most critical tool in beating this nightmare. As much as youths get educated about responsible sexual behavior in schools, parents should support such efforts by training children and especially girls on how best they can handle themselves to prevent them from falling victims of teenage pregnancies. Education on drug misuse and excessive alcohol consumption is another emphasis that needs to be embraced by both parents and teachers. Due to the lack of proper information by the majority of rural parents on how best they can always train their young ones, parents sensitization and training should be prioritized in the fight against teen pregnancies. With such eminent moves, they are likely to get the relevant skills to train their young ones.