TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN NIGERIA

 

Teenage Pregnancy in Nigeria

Introduction.

The Makeup of a Teenager

A teenager is someone who is between thirteen and nineteen years old. This is because the age number at this stage of life ends with “teen”. Therefore, this stage (of puberty) begins from 13 years and ends in 20 years of age. However, the use and perception of the word “teenager” vary amongst societies. Meanwhile, some societies perform elaborate ceremony of rites of passage to mark the change from teenage to adulthood. Basically, this transition period from childhood to adulthood is adolescence. Most times, the word “teenager” often interchanges with “adolescent” and any pregnancy that occurs at this stage is “teenage pregnancy”. In other words, the teen years are a bridge between life as a child, and life as an adult.

This gives the individual the opportunity to drop childhood behaviors and learn the adult life-style. In addition, it is a period of rapid social awareness and acceleration of physical growth. Some researchers are of the opinion that teenagers constitute about 20 percent of the world population. Some social issues of concern on teenagers include interactions with others, especially those of opposite sex. In addition, there are challenges of school pressures, relationship drama, feelings of insecurity, and worries about the future.

Most Prevalent Issues of Teenage Pregnancy in Nigeria

Although society sees the teenage age as the most important period in human life, it is very complex in itself. In other words, we need to handle it properly. If not, there will be possibility of disastrous consequences later in life, especially among females. One of these consequences of mishandling the teenage age is teenage pregnancy. Teenagers are to grow up morally, and gradually observing the norms of the society as they grow into adults. However, some of them engage in sexual activities at this early stage and most times, involuntarily. These in turn expose the females to the risk of involuntary pregnancies, as well as sexually-transmitted infections (STIs).

Teenage pregnancy occurs when a teenager between the ages of thirteen (or below) to nineteen years become pregnant. More often than not, these are outside wedlock, thereby exposing the victim to many other negative outcomes. However, there are also some health dangers that result from early age pregnancy, even when the teenage girl marries. In other words, premature marriage is not a solution. When it is out-of-wedlock, teenage pregnancy can end up in termination of the pregnancy before “term”. Furthermore, it can lead to the abandonment of the newborn baby. In Africa, Nigeria has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy. About 22.9 percent of the world’s teenage pregnancies in 2010 were from Nigeria (National Population Commission, 2009; WHO, 2010).

Abandoned baby in Nigeria

Figure 2: Abandoned Newborn

The issue of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria varies greatly between the Northern and Southern zones. Generally, teenage pregnancy is on the increase and more teenage girls are getting pregnant. Now, let us examine the causes, effects, and possible solutions to curb this social menace.

CAUSES OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN NIGERIA

Teenage pregnancy in Nigeria is a canker-worm eating deep into the fabric of the society, especially at this present time. Pregnancy of young girls within the ages of thirteen to nineteen is now prevalent. It is now so common to the point of being a cause for concern in the Nigerian society. Studies show that there are girls as young as ten who are victims of reckless sex. This comes from both older men and teenage boys. Furthermore, there is confirmation that some of them are either pregnant with babies or they are already carrying their babies. Scarily, girls between thirteen and nineteen years are now getting pregnant at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, it is not of their will most of the time.

There is nothing that happens without a reason. Teenage pregnancy in Nigeria has its root cause in a number of factors. Therefore, let us look at the following factors to be able to gain more insight:

 Societal Approval of Teenage Sexual Relationship/Marriage

In some parts of Nigeria, early marriage and traditional gender roles are important factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy. The average marriage age differs by States and/or regions. Places where teenage marriages are common usually have higher levels of teenage pregnancies. However, early marriage and pregnancy are more common in traditional rural communities than urban cities. Most times,these teenagers do not have any cognition of the central facts of sexuality. Teenagers in such places most times lack academic exposure and so, resort to marrying even older men. As a matter of fact, such places do not place value on the education of a girl child.

 Lack of Parental Guidance

In the Nigerian society, most parents evade their children from talking about sex. This is because they see it as a taboo to discuss sexual issues with their teenagers. Unknowingly, they are exposing these young ones to getting the information from other sources. However, many of these sources may be giving the teenager the wrong information. It is important to know that as parents, your teenager has to get the first sex education from you. Basically, the home is the first center of education before going to school. Therefore, every knowledge should have its foundation in the home.  In some cases, parents provide false information regarding sex, either out of shyness or some other reasons they may have. They also discourage their children from participating in any informative discussion about sex, because they feel it is shameful.

Furthermore, some (ignorant) parents hush down their teenagers from asking questions about having a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Most times, the teenage girl suffers this more than the teenage boy. Sadly enough. they shout at them each time they want to express their curiosity over sex education. Meanwhile, parents are to be their teenage children’s closest friends. Sometimes, parents tend to put interest only in the intellectual ability of their teenage children than their emotional well-being. This is very wrong!

 Peer Pressure as A Cause of Teenage Pregnancy

Among teenagers, peer pressure is a major factor that encourages the teenage boys and girls to indulge in sexual activities. Teenagers with inadequate knowledge about “safe sex” are unaware of its implications. Although peer pressure is not a new issue, social media brings it to an alarming new level. Reports have it that more than 29 percent of pregnant teens come from pressure to have sex. Also, 33 percent feel that they are not ready for a sexual relationship, but proceed anyway.

In addition, teenagers often feel pressure to make friends and fit in with their peers. Most times, they let their friends influence their decision to have sex. Meanwhile, they do not understand the consequences of the act. In other words, they may have sex as a way to appear trendy. In some cases, the end result is an accidental teen pregnancy.

Furthermore, teens spend longer time with their peers than with their parents or teachers. As a result, they tend to learn more from one another than from the right sources.

 Exploitation by Older Men and Sexual Abuse

This is another major factor that contributes to teenage pregnancy in Nigeria. It is very unfortunate that teen girl child is not safe even to be alone with her biological father. Sadly, it also happens in many other societies. The great woman of God, Joyce Meyer, even after the age of seventy, still recalls her own childhood experience. Very often, one hears disgusting stories of fathers raping their teenage daughters. These young girls equally suffer sexual abuse from elder brothers and other family relatives. In addition, teenage girls who play around illicitly with older men are more likely to become pregnant before attaining womanhood. These older men abuse them and sometimes threaten them never to say a word of it to anyone.

FREE HEALTHCARE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN & TEENAGE GIRLS - GlobalGiving

Figure 3: Pregnant Teenager

Sexual abuse is very prominent in Nigeria and has an alarming highest rate among other countries. Studies from Non-governmental Organizations in Nigeria have it that 11–20% of pregnancies in teenagers are a direct result of rape. Also, about 60% of teenage mothers are victims of sexual experiences against their will preceding the pregnancy. Before age 15, a majority of first-intercourse experiences among females are non-voluntary.  One in five teenage fathers admit to forcing girls to having sex with them. Multiple studies indicate a strong link between early childhood sexual abuse and subsequent teenage pregnancy. Up to 70% of women who give birth in their teens are victims of sexual abuse. See also African Girl here.

 Poverty

Often times, teenage girls belonging to poor families are more likely to become pregnant. This is due to the inability of parents to provide their basic needs. In trying to get their basic needs by any means possible, they expose themselves to the dangers of illicit sex. This is usually with older and rich men who tend to take advantage of their vulnerability.

Also, poor teenage girls in high school have higher rate of getting pregnant against their desire. They either suffer harassment or they agree to use their body as currency to purchase a better life. In addition, some parents give birth to too many children beyond their income. This equally exposes the children to illicit affairs due to lack of adequate parental care. However, this is also prevalent even in the western world. Poverty causes high rates of teenage pregnancy. In other words, economically poor countries have far more teenage mothers than richer countries.

6. Environment

According to studies, it is possible to prevent one-third of teenage pregnancies. This is by eliminating exposure to abuse, violence, and family strife. Teen girls whose fathers leave the family early in their lives become vulnerable. Therefore, they are prone to early sexual activity and consequently, teenage pregnancy. On the other hand, girls whose fathers leave at a later age have a lower rate of early sexual activity. In other words, girls whose fathers are present throughout their childhood have lower rates of teenage pregnancy. Furthermore, studies show that boys from homes with physical (domestic) violence, are significantly more likely to impregnate a girl.

7. Lack of Supervision

This is one of the major causes of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria. Teenagers need proper supervision before giving them freedom. This includes freedom for independence, social media exposure, and others. In other words, they require sufficient push boundaries. That notwithstanding, it is also important for parents to know where their teens are going and whom they are with. Although you should allow your teen to have friends, ensure you are checking on them regularly. Before exposing your teenage child to outing freedom, teach them how to identify good and bad in the society. It helps them to interact better and safer. Unfortunately, so many teenagers already have the freedom without proper supervision and guidance, as a result of negligence by parents.

8. Low Self-esteem

Teenagers who do not get love and affection from parents will seek it out with their peer group. When they eventually get it from friends, they will tend to be more comfortable pleasing them. Low self-esteem is among the causes of teenage pregnancy. This is because outside the family’s circle, the teenager tends to take in whatever condition of love anyone shows.

9. Social Media Influence

The prevalence of digital communication is drastically changing the way teens interact with one another. As a result, many teens lack essential communication skills; like social interactions. In this era, there is an overuse of technology. The social media habits of teens are changing the way they communicate, date, learn, sleep, exercise, and more. In fact, the average teen spends a good number of hours each day on their electronic devices.

Obviously, social media can be problematic for several reasons. No matter what precautions you take, teens are still likely to come across unhealthy images and sexual content online. Therefore, parents and guardians should help their teenagers learn how to navigate social media in a healthy way. Also, talk about ways to stay safe online. Most importantly, know what your teen is doing online. Finally, educate yourself on the latest applications and social media pages. This will help you to know the ones teenagers are using. Then with this knowledge, you will be able to take steps to keep them safe.

EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN NIGERIA

Teenage pregnancy is a social threat in Nigeria which has negative effects, just like in other places. In other words, teenage mothers have higher risks of living on lower income. Also, they acquire lower educational achievements than their peers. In addition to these, they encounter more difficulties with housing and higher rates of family conflicts than their peers. Furthermore, teenage mothers are more likely to experience social isolation, become school drop-outs, and lack adequate care for their child. We will group all these under the following subheadings:

Poor Finance as an Effect of Teenage Pregnancy

Teen mothers often experience more economic opportunity restrictions than older mothers. This is because only about 50 percent of them has high school diploma by age 22. Also, only 10 percent of them typically complete a two- or four-year degree. Therefore, this incomplete education obviously hinders capability to earn more income over time.

Abandoned-babies in Nigeria 

Figure 5: Abandoned Babies

Social/Health Challenges from Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage mothers have the poorest physical health of all categories of women. This is also the case with other women who engage in unprotected sex. There is every possibility that teenage mothers may neglect their physical health while caring for their babies. They may also not have access to or know about healthy foods and eating habits. Therefore, they are more likely to be obese.

In addition, teenage mothers are likely to experience significant levels of stress that can increase risk of mental health disorders. See also Providers for Healthy Living. Nevertheless, some factors can reduce the likelihood that a teenage mother will have psychiatric issues.

The Fate of a Teenage Mother

The effects above can create a perpetual cycle for teenage mothers, their children, and their unborn generations. But then, teenage motherhood does not have to mean that a young woman will not be successful in life anymore. However, it is important for victims to consider what other young mothers are facing. This is with respect to overall health, financial stability, and the health of their child. Young mothers should talk to an education counselor or social worker regarding their completing school and living a healthier life.  In addition, teenage pregnancy can have serious social consequences. Also, teenage mothers are likely to be single, poor and lacking adequate education. Nonetheless, with reasonable support, the teen mother will encounter less challenges.