ON THE PROBLEM OF ADOLESCENT PREGNANCIES IN AFRICA

The article is centered on the issue of early adolescent pregnancies in Africa. The author analyzes the reasons for the change of the attitude to pre-marital sexual life, the consequences it can lead to, and makes an attempt to find a solution to the problem of unplanned pregnancies of African teenagers.

In the majority of the countries the attitude to abortion is strictly negative. Under the influence of ancient traditions and customs a decent girl should start the close relationship after marriage. The process of globalization that has touched every faraway corner has also changed the mind of the children of the conservative people. Modern girls from developing countries in comparison with their ancestors have nothing against pre-marital intimacies. Apparently, as soon as a girl chooses to be sexually active she takes additional responsibilities for her reproductive health and the consequences of her lifestyle. It is not a secret that an obvious result of close relationship is pregnancy that is why girls should know what steps can be taken to avoid it. Not always girls have enough knowledge helping them to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. The ancient traditions, strict parents, the society moralism ­– these are just a few reasons which do not let them consult doctors and get a reasonable piece of advice on what should be done in order not only to prevent a pregnancy but also to be protected from sexually transmitted diseases. Thus, any girl who has made such a decision as to change her life faces the problems and has to solve them either by herself or with the help of her more experienced friends.

In recent decades adolescent pregnancy has become an important health issue in a great number of countries both developed and developing. According to the WHO data more than 14 million adolescent girls give birth each year. Although these births occur in all societies, 12.8 million, more than 90%, are in developing countries. The highest levels of adolescent pregnancy are in Africa.

The analysis of the situation revealed the main factors that influenced adolescent pregnancies. There was a lack of contraceptive knowledge among young girls, and ambivalent feelings about pregnancy and contraception (some girls want to prove their fertility, but do not want to have a child). The society in its turn gives conflicting messages: according to the rural tradition, prenuptial virginity is highly valued, but on the other hand the girls are surrounded by a modern reverence for material wealth, which is attained most easily by entering into a sexual relationship with a wealthy man.

In some communities a typical reaction to an early pregnancy is marriage. Pregnant girls start their families before their own childhoods have ended. In other countries the majority of births to young mothers occur outside marriage. Early pregnancies are usually associated not only with high health risks both for mothers and babies but also with a number of psychosocial consequences e.g. interruption of education, poverty, disruption of family relations and social exclusion.

Traditionally when an adolescent becomes pregnant, people point fingers at her. It is time we pointed fingers at ourselves. Teenagers should not suffer from stigmatization. If a girl gets pregnant it is our mistake. It is because we have not provided her with the information, education, training necessary for the prevention of pregnancy.

Unfortunately, nowadays freedom is confused with licentiousness. In search of material values people have lose moral ones. Financial problems, the desire to be like others or a passionate interest make teenagers start sexual activity. If we cannot stop or forbid early sexual relations we should teach teenagers how to avoid problems. In order to solve the problem of early pregnancies it is necessary to create a special programme. In my opinion one of the solutions to the problem of the prevention of adolescent pregnancy is the increasing of the age at marriage. Sex education for adolescents (including information on contraception) and contraceptive services for them can contribute to the prevention of early pregnancies. Teachers and caregivers should participate in a training programme, they should communicate with young people in a confidential manner and provide teenagers with information about sex and birth control. Services for reproductive health and/or contraception for adolescents should be separated from the same services for adults and should be adapted to the needs of adolescents with respect to their location and attitudes of personnel. Sexually active adolescents need to be aware of the importance of dual protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

References:

1. Adolescent Pregnancy and its Outcomes across Countries, 2015. URL: https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/adolescent-pregnancy-and-its-outcomes-across-countries  (accessed 21.04.2019).
2. Adolescent pregnancy, 2018. URL: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy (accessed 23.04.2019).
3. The Highest Rates of Early Childbearing Are Found in Sub-Saharan African Countries, 2017. URL: https://data.unicef.org/topic/maternal-health/adolescent-health/   (accessed 23.04.2019).