Red Card Teenage Pregnancy!

"Red Card Teenage Pregnancy!"

The game of football (soccer) is a very interesting game that commands the followership of a sizable number of the world. To have some sense of order in the game, there are a set of rules which guide the 22 players in the game. There is a referee who is the arbiter between the two teams that contest each time. Anytime any of the eleven players on each side of the field breaks any of the rules of the game, the referee signifies the degree of his meted punishment with two different colour cards; the yellow and the red. The yellow card signifies that the defaulting player has a second and final chance to remain in the game while the red card issues the defaulting player a matching order out of the game and stops him or her from further abusing the rules of the game.

Life is very akin to the game of football with set rules for the purpose of order. Just like in the game of football, there are game rule defaulters in the game of life. In the lives of our young people, among other defaulters Teenage Pregnancy is one of such. That is why I am saying in this article that you and I as parents, guardians, caregivers, young people, teenagers etc. should "Red Card Teenage Pregnancy!"


What is Teenage Pregnancy?

Teenage pregnancy.

Teenage Pregnancy occurs when a teenager or underaged girl (usually within the ages of 12-19) becomes pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to women who have not reached legal adulthood which varies across the world who become pregnant.

In today's high-pressure, fast-paced and jet-age world, it is not easy being a teenager. Having been a teenager myself years back, I can tell and my dear teenage friends out there may align with this view of mine. Young people need to listen to compelling and consistent talks on abstinence.


Some causes of Teenage Pregnancy are-

Causes.

*Parental Negligence
*Lack of or Inadequate Sex Education
*Exposure
*Poverty
*Child Abuse
*Teenage Rebellion
*Peer Pressure
*Sexual Abuse

The vast possibilities of our great future will become realities only if we (as parents, guardians or caregivers) make ourselves responsible for the future. Who knows? The next victim of teenage pregnancy could be your child, niece, neighbour's daughter or sibling etc. This is not to make teenage pregnancy look like some kind of disease, but you will agree with  me that it is a shameful thing to happen to one's child even in the highly civilised countries.  As civilised and 'socially liberal' as such countries may be, teenage pregnancy is a sad reflection of the failure of parenthood and the society at large. It could happen in school, church or mosque etc. It happens anywhere, that is why we (as parents, guardians or caregivers) must watch out for our children or wards.

Statistics.

Statistics on Teenage Pregnancy-

-In America-
-Approximately 750,000 teenagers between 15-19 will become pregnant every year in the US. African-American teenagers have the highest pregnancy rate compared to Hispanic and Caucasian teenagers.

-In UK-
-The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.
The Office for National Statistics data showed there were 41.9 conceptions per 1,000 15 - 17 year olds in 2007 - up from 40.9 the year before.
It is the first increase since 2002 and the government missed its target to halve rates by 2010. The news follows a series of high-profile teenage pregnancy cases. In total, there were estimated to be just over 42,900 conceptions in under 18s. The under 16 conception rates also increased from 7.8 per 1,000 to 8.3, meaning there were nearly 8,200 pregnancies.

-In Asia-
In the Indian subcontinent, premarital sex is uncommon, but early marriage sometimes means adolescent pregnancy. The rate of early marriage is higher in rural regions than it is in urbanised areas. Fertility rates in South Asia range from 71 - 119 births per 1000 women aged 15–19. 30% of all Indian induced abortions are performed on women who are under 20.
Other parts of Asia have shown a trend towards increasing age at marriage for both sexes. In South Korea and Singapore, marriage before age 20 has all but disappeared, and, although the occurrence of sexual intercourse before marriage has risen, rates of adolescent childbearing are low at 4 - 8 per 1000. The rate of early marriage and pregnancy has decreased sharply in Indonesia and Malaysia; however, it remains high in comparison to the rest of Asia.

-In Africa-
The highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the world -143 per 1,000 girls aged 15–19 years - is in sub-Saharan Africa. Women in Africa, in general, get married at much earlier ages than women elsewhere - leading to earlier pregnancies

-In Nigeria-
The United Nations says 53,000 women in Nigeria die annually of pregnancy-related illnesses. That is one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Doctors and youth counselors in Nigeria say teenage mothers are more at risk because of poverty, lack of access to health care, and a culture that does not like to talk about sex. -VOA News 2009-03-03


Dangers of Teenage Pregnancy-

Danger!

*Low Self-Esteem
*Increased maternal and child morbidity or mortality
*Sexually Transmitted Infection or Diseases e.g. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Vesicovaginal Fistula (vvF)
*Education or Career drop outs
*Abortions
*Risk of loss of life
*Exchanging sex for resources due to inability to cope financially, materially etc.
*Shame or disgrace to the family
*Pregenancy for Teenagers is more dangerous and traumatic (confirm by statistics above).
*Social Stigma etc.


Preventing Teenage Pregnancy-
We as parents must put an immediate stop to our unacceptable lackadaisical attitude towards the upbringing of our children.

We need to teach our children and teenagers-

1. Sex Education- 

The teaching of fundamental theories and facts about sex to a person or people, so that they can be sexually conscious, understanding the do's and don'ts of sex, dangers, side effects, when suitable etc. Regular sex education in the classroom alone is insufficient. Sex education to our children should begin with we the parents teaching our children at home. We need to get over the 'shyness' or reluctance of not being bold enough to talk to our children about sex. If our children learn about sex first from we the parents it is a lot safer for them and us in preventing teenage pregnancy. I say this because they will be learning from one of the most reliable sources which gives one peace of mind, rather than learning from friends who may lead them astray.  In the bid to prevent teenage pregnancy, sex education should be more emphasised by parents at home, religious leaders in religious organsiations etc.  Teenagers who have had formal sex education are far more likely to put off having sex.


2. Sexual Abstinence-                                                                                                                             
 Abstinence is more than the cliches of "just say no" or "wait until marriage" or "You are too young to have sex", which sounds more like compelling without convincing reason. While those are all very good reasons, most decisions about abstinence go deeper than that. Abstinence means voluntarily choosing not to engage in sexual activity until marriage, and this is why sex education is most important. When our children are properly informed about sex, they will be able to make informed decision on sexual abstinence.


3. Self Respect-
                                             
The way we treat our children as parents at home determines whether they grow with self respect or not. Many of our children today have lost their self respect or self-esteem because of different kinds of abuses they suffer from the way some of we parents treat them. In as much as there are a number of causes of low esteem in children, we can help our children develop their self respect or esteem, beginning with the way we treat them. i.e. with respect; from the way we talk to and with them etc. They may be our children, but just like every individual, we should realise that they deserve our respectful treatment. We should give them a sense of worth in the home. In this way, they will not look up to their peers or outsiders for self respect or esteem. When a child (especially a girl child) lacks self respect and she has to look up to a boy outside the home for self respect or love, this leads to all manner of regrettable consequences among which is teenage pregnancy (directly or indirectly).

4. Positive Decision Making-

Guide their decision making.

In the grooming of our children, we should give them some air of liberty in decision making, particularly on issues that concerns them. We may help them review their decisions though and offer them parental guidance, but we should avoid foisting our own views on them. Allowing our children some form of liberty as they grow instill in them indepedence.


As we continue to mind the rules in the game of life, we as parents, guardians, caregivers, young people, teenagers etc. should constantly "Red Card Teenage Pregnancy!" out of the lives of those concerned in our lives.