Teenage Pregnancy
Essay from Jeremiah Lucas Opira Memorial Contest 2023
Adokcen Lina Mable
2nd runner up, Category 1
Teenage pregnancy is the pregnancy in young women and girls below eighteen years of age. A teenager is between thirteen and nineteen years old. Teenage pregnancy has affected the lives of teenagers in our country, Uganda.
Firstly, I want to talk about the causes of teenage pregnancy. These causes are why there are a high rate of teenage pregnancy these include:
- Early marriages
- Sexual abuse, for example rape
- Pornography materials
- Peer group influence
- Drug abuse
Secondly, the effects of teenage pregnancy are the ones that have affected the life of many people in our country. These are:
- School dropout. A teenage pregnancy makes it difficult for a teenage girl to go to school.
- Health risks for the mother and the baby. The mother or the baby may lead to loss of their lives and obstructed labor.
Thirdly, I want to talk about prevention and how to reduce teenage pregnancies. Methods of prevention could be:
- Laws enforced by the government which would reduce the number of teenage pregnancies.
- Sexual education by parents, teachers, media and community.
Lastly, I want to advise my fellow teenagers on how to stop teenage pregnancy. Firstly, abstinence from sex. This will help them not to be involved in sexual relationships. Secondly, I want to say that children should not walk alone at night. This could, unfortunately, lead to unwanted pregnancies.