What is Teenage Pregnancy?
Teenage pregnancy is defined as an underage girl becoming pregnant. While women technically stay in their “teens” until the age of 20, the term is restricted to those under the age of legal adulthood, which are 18 in most countries in the world including Papua New Guinea.
The youngest mother on record is Lina Medina, who in 1939 gave birth to a boy at the age of five (5).
Lina Medina(born September 27, 1933 in Paurange, Peru) gave birth at the age of 5 years, 7 months and 21 days and is the youngest confirmed mother in medical history. This world record is closely followed by a similar case in Russia
However, most girls do not become fully fertile until much later; for example, the average age of (menarche) first menstrual period is between 10 -15 or few started at the age of 8 and 16-20.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_pregnancyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_Medina
Pregnant teenagers face many of the same (obstetrics) issues as women in their 20’s and 30’s.
However, there are additional medical concern for younger mothers, particularly those under 15 and those living in developing countries. For mothers between 15 and 19, age in itself is not a risk factor but additional risks may be associated with socioeconomic factors.
Such as lower education level, higher rates of poverty, and other poorer “life outcomes” in children of teenage mothers.
Teenage pregnancy in developed countries is usually outside of marriage, and carries a social stigma in many communities and cultures.
What most teenagers don’t understand about love is sex. They thought by having sex, their love relationship will last longer not knowing that sex apart from love, marriage, Friendship/relationship &Family is the only thing most relationship is about.
Everybody knows that making a relationship work is more than just going out on a few dates together. You have to have a balance of respect, trust, and honesty. Right? You tell us! How do you even define a “relationship” to begin with? What makes a strong, healthy one stand out?
TIPS
- Just because you think “everyone’s doing it. “Doesn’t mean they are. Some are. Some aren’t. And some are lying.
- There are a lot of good reasons to say “no. not yet.” Protecting your feelings is one of them.
- You’re in charge of your life. Don’t let anyone pressure you into having sex.
- You can always say “no”-even if you’ve said “yes” before.
- If you’re drunk or high you can’t make good decisions about sex. Don’t do something you might not remember or might really regret.
- Sex won’t make him/her yours and a baby won’t make him stay.
Survey Responses:
Some questions and responses collected during the surveys are as follows:
- How do you deal with teenage pregnancy whilst in a PNG institution?
CA: I will escape from school if students know I am the father of the baby.
BD: If, if my girlfriend is pregnant I will ask her to skip school that year and continue the following year.
SJ:I will leave school and go back to the village and become a Permanente mother for life.
BS: I will leave school after gibing birth I will attend College or Technical institution find early employment to help my child.
JR: If the school expelled me and my friend I will ask my Parent’s for me to marry her.
EG: My girlfriend’s pregnancy would be a decision reached between me and her. A reason to marry her, In case her parents might dispute our marriage unless it happened accidentally. I would advise her to take abortions. She would have to stay away from school and re-enroll the following year.
MK: Everyone within the community will talk about her and ignore her. The immediate family will be very embarrassed about the situation because people will criticize them.
KR: Well, if I was teen boyfriend faced with the prospect of early parenthood and no employment, I’d bloody well tell to get an abortion.
HH: Through counselors trained especially in this area. Or get psychiatrist do deal with teenager concern because at times like they are emotionally disturbed and need to feel loved or cared for.
CA:If it ever happened to me, I would perhaps withdraw from school, that’s if I am in a tertiary institution. After I have the baby, I will return the following year to complete my studies. But if it did happen in high/secondary school, I would probably quit school forever. Stay at home becomes a fulltime mum.
JT: There is a tradition in university and especially girls think they will miss out on boy/girl relationships so there are unnecessary pregnancies. Especially in university, there is influence for males/females to get involved in sexual behaviors.
VM: I don’t like it because it disturbs the girl’s future…their studies.
MY: it’s common mostly because girls are pressured into it. They think that if they have a child with someone, they would be better off, especially if they drop out of school.
GK: It’s a big hindrance to her education especially if she has to look after a child.
KH: It’s bad if a girl’s pregnant. She should be removed from school. It takes nine months for pregnancy and she will be in classes where people will see her and it will bring a bad name to the school.
LS: It’s a normal thing providing that the pregnancy was intended. If it wasn’t I pity the teenagers.”
AT: I don’t agree because it paints a bad picture of the institution if they attend classes whilst pregnant and also the pressure of the workload in school will be harmful both to the mother and her unborn child.
- Should there be an avenue within the education department to accommodate teen pregnancy?
CA: Yes, I think there should be an avenue.
BD: Yes, definitely the education department should accommodate pregnant teenagers.
SJ: Yes, there should be an avenue for teenage pregnancy.
BS: Yeah, I don’t see how teenage pregnancy is affecting the schools which expelled teenagers who are pregnant with their partners.
JC: Yes, Educational Institute should let pregnant teenagers stay in school until when their ready to gibe birth let those 2 or 3 weeks leave from school to give birth after that they can continue schooling.
EG: According to statistics, the rate of increased teenage pregnancy, yes definitely. Peer education, student counseling, subject at primary and secondary schools should deal mostly with awareness of human reproductive system.
MK: There must be a class or a subject taught at the high schools, especially or mostly to deal with counseling.
KR: No!! Such will only encourage teens to engage in risky sexual adventures (increasing chances of not only pregnancy but also STI’s) because they know there’s always a second chance.
HH: Yes, I think the education department should come up with regulations that would prohibit teenage pregnancies. Life for instance, fines imposed on those who are not married but fall pregnant during the school year.
Other approaches would be to emphasize:
· Abstinence and
· The use of contraceptives.
CA: Definitely. Probably set up schools that would accommodate for these mothers (teenagers) so they are not left out but have the opportunity to complete their education.
JT: I think when a girl is pregnant; she shouldn’t be kicked out of school. Education is a human right. When you kick them out of school, you are depriving them.
VM: Instead of sending them home, it would be a good idea to create facilities within schools to cater for them because education is more important.
MY: Yes they should because they have an education and sometimes it’s not of their own intentions that they got pregnant in the first place.
GK: It may be a costly exercise but they should try set up schools for teenage mothers so at least they complete their education.
KH: Yes, if there is money to set up something like this maybe it’s possible. They should be helped.
LS: Yes, to address the issue, because of the situation they are in, they can miss out on education which is a right. People should be educated mo matter what.
AT: It would be much better if their spaces were kept to come back to after giving birth. A new born baby needs all of the mother, not what’s left over after along day at school.