TEENAGE PREGNANCY AMIDST THE PANDEMIC

 

By Oscar Ochieng

People have continued to debate on the effects of this corona virus pandemic ,whether it has done some good to this society or not. Well everybody have their own perception on this but to me it has actually done more harm than good to our society

One of the effects of this pandemic that I would like to focus on is the fact that our young sisters are in danger of not being able to continue with their normal lives after the pandemic especially the school going girls. Our young girls are becoming parents! These cases continues to increase day in day out without any action being taken

In 2019research had it that one in every five girls aged between 15 to 19 years has had a live birth or is pregnant. It’s a mind-blowing statistic that speaks to the teenage pregnancy crisis in the country

that's only for the year 2019. what of now this year 2020 when these young girls are at home with schools closed over the spread of 2019. It is actually a good idea to close these schools but our girls are at a high risk of not resuming learning comes next year as planned

Actually its clear that a huge percentage of these teenage pregnancies are not planned. Meaning they are caused by maybe ignorance, lack of knowledge or maybe some are forced. When I say forced I mean rape, another huge problem in this country. Actually our girls are no longer safe even with their own biological dads. Men! Why do such things to your own blood?

Recently a nine year old girl just got pregnant in one of the counties and it was the youngest case this year. Where do you even get the courage to sleep with a nine year old kid? This only one case revealed there might be so many others hidden . The problem is that these parents who after learning that their girls have been messed up with they hid the truth just because of some kitu kidogo! Shame on you!

Parents learn to love and care for your kids . Don't trade your kids for money or wealth this will haunt you in future. Lets help in condemning these awful acts. You Men its hight time you style up and be men . Learn to be a dad not just a father . Take care of your young daughters and sisters. And let us learn to call a spade a spade not a small spoon! Tell your girls the real name of sex don't refer to it as “tabia mbaya” ata kunyamba ni tabia mbaya

again do not blame lack of sanitary towels as the cause of these teenage pregnancies. As much as we need to provide them with these but let us not use the opportunity of some lacking them and take advantage of them. Please men im begging you to control your appetite.

School closures have cut off girls from teachers who can sound the alarm in suspected cases of abuse at home, and students have been left idle and often unchaperoned by busy parents. Restrictions on movement have also made it harder for girls to access contraceptives and family planning services, and mandatory curfews have trapped girls in homes with predatory family members and neighbours.

But many of the articles published last month failed to put the numbers of teen pregnancies into context. In Kenya, high-risk early pregnancy has long been a societal challenge. Government demographic data from 2014, the latest available, show that 15 percent of girls aged 15-19 had already given birth, and another three percent were pregnant with their first child – the highest rates in East Africa.

Underpinning any COVID-19-related rise in teen pregnancies are other significant challenges, including insufficient funding for reproductive health services and a lack of comprehensive sex education in schools – which have contributed to Kenya’s alarming numbers.

These pregnancies also have side effects if you don't know. There are increased health risks associated with teenage pregnancies, including physical health issues like convulsions, uterine infections and obstetric fistula – a hole in the birth canal, resulting in incontinence of urine or feaces that often affects women who give birth too young – and mental health challenges like depression and anxiety. And there are risks to the unborn child including premature birth, low birth weight and other neonatal conditions. Preventing teenage pregnancies is about protecting the holistic health of both the mother and the potential unborn child, and by extension, society as a whole.

Let’s protect girlchild