INTRODUCTION
According to recent data from the Ministry of Health, one in five adolescents aged 15–19 are already mothers or pregnant with their first child. The teenage years are a time of change and growth. Unfortunately, it is also during this time that many teens make mistakes that can affect their future.
Cases of teenage pregnancy have been on the rise in Kenya, with young mothers having no one to support them as most parents feel frustrated that their kids are pregnant at a young age. However, the experience may be frustrating and overwhelming; parents should be patient and encourage their daughter’s that it will be okay.
WHY DO GIRLS GET PREGNANT?
Several factors contribute to adolescent pregnancies and births. First, In some cultures, customs and traditions, young girls are forced into an early marriage, leading to teenage pregnancies. The second issue is drugs and alcohol; teenagers may drink and experiment with drugs frequently with their friends at social gatherings and parties during adolescence.
Teens, however, do not realize the impacts alcohol and drugs have on the functioning of their brains. Drinking excessively and experimenting with drugs may lead to unwanted and unintentional pregnancy. In many places, girls choose to become pregnant because they have limited information on sexual reproductive health; parents have left the responsibility to teachers; they assume that teachers are teaching the girls how to take care of themselves while they are at an adolescent stage. Contraceptives are not easily accessible to adolescents in many places. Even when adolescents can obtain contraceptives, they may lack the agency or the resources to pay for them, knowledge of where to obtain them and how to use them correctly. They may face stigma when trying to obtain contraceptives. Further, they are often at higher risk of discontinuing use due to side effects, changing life circumstances, and reproductive intentions. In addition, girls fall pregnant through incest, a sexual assault that leaves them with lifetime emotional wounds and destroys their self-esteem.
RISKS ASSOCIATED TO TEENAGE PREGNANCY.
Teenage mothers go through many challenges, and many think of procuring abortions. Most parents don’t care to take them to the hospital for check-ups; they leave them to manage their pregnancies independently. Secondly, some of them feel alone and isolated as friends and families do not associate with them; they lack support from their parents, thus feeling scared of sharing. Aside from that, the girls contemplate suicide since they do not have anyone to run to; what comes in their minds is suicide.
STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO FIGHT TEENAGE PREGNANCY.
The government of Kenya, private sectors and other stakeholders must work together with county governments to fight teenage pregnancies in our country, and this can be done by reducing the price of sanitary towels as these towels are expensive and parents cannot afford them or the government should provide free sanitary towels in schools.
Women leaders should support organizations and local communities by organizing mentorship programs to educate girls on sexual reproductive health and sex education.
Lastly, parents should take care of their girls while they are pregnant by ensuring they eat a healthy diet, encouraging them to get plenty of sleep and giving them space to make their own decisions while still providing guidance when needed.