Teenage pregnancies over the years have become a bane in our society. In fact, according to a publication in the 3rd edition of the Journal of Sexual Discourse, “One out of every seven secondary school girls is likely to get pregnant before the age of 18.” This shows how prevalent the issue of teenage pregnancies has become in our society. In actual fact, teenage pregnancies have now become a topical issue on radio and television stations.
Over the years, society has shown a high level of resentment towards teenage pregnancies. One of the general assumptions is that teenagers who get pregnant are those from dysfunctional homes, but this is not entirely true. An accident can also happen in a seemingly healthy home. Therefore, when adequate care is not put in place, these teenagers may end up as bad parents, breeding their children in an unhealthy way.
One may be poised to ask if this societal disposition has changed. The basic answer to that is no, of course. While acknowledging the fact that the society has not viewed teenage pregnancies with a positive mindset, I strongly believe that what should be of utmost concern to every stakeholder is how this modern society should respond to this issue of teenage pregnancies. To this end, I will suggest ways modern society should respond to teenage pregnancies.
Firstly, family and friends should support these teenagers to ensure they remain mentally and psychologically balanced. This will help to reduce suicidal thoughts and all other mental diseases. Once a mistake has been made, what should be of utmost importance is that there is a solution to avert future complications.
Secondly, free medical care and assistance should be given to these teenagers as they are naïve. There must be concerted efforts between the government and medical practitioners and these efforts must be geared towards creating a healthy society where these teenagers can grow and thrive in order for them to achieve their dreams.
Thirdly, these teenagers should be assigned to teenage counselors and be assured that their ambition is still very realistic. Furthermore, they must be encouraged that this singular mistake they have made cannot define or limit their life goals.
Lastly, modern society should sensitize as many teenagers as possible on the disadvantages of teenage pregnancies so as to reduce the rate at which this occurs. If this modern society fails to respond to this menace, I am afraid we might experience a collapse of the moral and economic fabric of our society.
Halima Alimi,
Ibadan, Oyo state
