What is teen pregnancy? Teen Pregnancy is a situation where an underage girl is put in the family way either married or unmarried.
So many factors have been said to be responsible for teen pregnancy such as:
Broken Homes: Dysfunctional families set the stage for teen pregnancy for girls from such homes have volatile relationships with their mothers and no relationships with their fathers or vice versa.
Rape: A victim of rape might be traumatised to an extent that triggers emotional pain that may later become manifested into destructive conducts. Sexual abuses like rape brings a feeling of self worthlessness, hatred and lost of control.
Overconfidence and curiosity: Some teens have become mothers as a result of their own foolishness, they are confident of being capable of doing anything, forgetting also they are capable of having a baby. Some fall victims by experimenting with sex because of curiosity, there is a belief there is something they are missing out there.
Ignorance: Some youths do not understand the connection between sex and pregnancy. Often time most teen mothers are often shocked or surprised to find they are pregnant even though knowing what they have done and the consequences involved.
Our present day world is another major influence on teen pregnancy: We live in an era where people are lovers of pleasures than lovers of God. There is a non-chalant attitude towards sex, nobody seem to be perturb as everyone is out for fun. No longer is having a baby out of wedlock seen as a shameful act, some teenagers even view having a baby as some sort of status symbol.
Fathers are the most important factor after God required in protecting the girl child(ren) from teen pregnancy. We must be a source of good example and information for our daughter(s). We should be the first line of defence in the war against teen pregnancy. Bose a teen mother who got pregnant as the age of 17 while still in S.S 2 said though her parents worked hard to provide for her material needs, she still craved and feel the emotional void created by the absence of her ever too busy father.
The fact is, it is a very painful and heartbreaking experience when a girl who is still a child herself becomes pregnant and unmarried. But the truth is teen pregnancy is real and on the wide spread in a way it touches all of us either as a father, uncle, brother or neighbour. I have earlier said that fathers are the next most important factor after God in protecting the girl child(ren) against teen pregnancy. Here are few tips for every father and fathers-to- be on how to protect our daughter(s):
Become a confidential friend: Most African fathers love to be feared, they see a friendly relationship between themselves and their daughter(s) as unethical, a western idea that is wrong. It is time to do away with traditions and embraced knowledge which is the truth. It is important that we build a relationship of trust with our daughter(s). Are you a confidential friend to your daughter(s)? Do you really listen to your daughter(s)? Does your daughter(s) feel comfortable in bringing problems to you? Are you quicker to condemn than to praise? Do you take time to know your daughters, do they have friends? Who are they? Do not be afraid to set firm boundaries or render loving discipline.
Never over look the dangers facing your daughter(s): Most fathers don’t know their daughters. Based on their abilities and status in meeting their daughter’s physical or material need they feel too comfortable that their daughters are free from pre-marital sex or teen pregnancy. Take out time to teach them about God’s love and to keep His commandments right from infancy, teach them Bible morals, read and study the Bible with them, pray with and for them as a family. Give them accurate information about sex. Someone might want to say but I did all these yet my daughter went ahead and got pregnant, what do I do? If you find yourself in situation like this please never think of abortion, God is against it, the law of the land is against it. It not just a murderous act it is equally suicidal even for your daughter. In the process of getting rid of the pregnancy you may lose your daughter too. You need to show such child(ren) love, help and support, help her to go through her ordeal physically, emotionally, financially and psychology. Instead of castigating, help the girl to retrace her steps. Also remember a child born out of wedlock or to teen mother need not to be stigmatised, lot of love is to be shown on the baby too, the baby have done nothing wrong and being a product of some youth naivety does not make such a child less a normal child or hated by God.
The best defence against teen pregnancy is YOU, turn your daughters to God with love and your constant presence in the formative and teenage years, this is more than any classroom education.
Some bitter facts about teen pregnancy
From a recent survey carried out on teen pregnancy the following facts were deduced reflecting the realities faced by pregnant teens:
· 4 out 20 girls become pregnant or have gone through abortion before attaining age 20.
· About 40% of teen mothers are under 18 years of age.
· Children of teen parents suffers higher rate of abuse and neglect than children of older parents.
· Only 3 out of 10 teen mothers go back to complete their education.
· Nearly 80% of the fathers responsible for such pregnancies marry the teen mothers of their babies.
· Only 20% of teen mothers who marries after their child is born remain in such marriages, teen marriages are twice as likely to fail compare to marriages in which the woman is at least 2 5 years of age.
· Children of teen mothers are most likely to be born prematurely which might lead to blindness, deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, celebral palsy, dyslexia, hyper activeness or infant death.
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Teen pregnancy is real and on the wide spread in a way it touches all of us either as a father, uncle, brother or neighbour.
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