TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN NIGERIA: REASONS AND SOLUTION

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 Teenage pregnancy is when a girl aged 13-19 becomes pregnant.It can happen after sex without birth control or when birth control fails.It is when a girl who hasn’t reached adulthood gets pregnant when her body is still growing and developing.It happens the same way as any pregnancy at any age that is,when sperm meets an egg after an unprotected sex.Age doesn’t stop it happening as long as she has started seeing her period.Teen’s bodies and lives are still changing.School,health,money and support systems can all be affected and that is why doctors and other health organizations pay extra attention to it.

Why does teenage pregnancy occur?


1.Lack of information/Ignorance:Ladies not knowing how pregnancy occurs or how to be able to

prevent it.


2.No access to protection:Condoms,birth control pills,etc may be hard to get or talk about.


3.Peer pressure/relationships:She may be feeling pressured or seeing all her friends getting into

one relationship or the other and way want to try it for herself.


4.Poverty:Lack of financial capacity to fend for herself may push her into sleeping with people for

money which could also lead to teenage pregnancy.


What changes for a girl who gets pregnant?


1.Body:Pregnancy puts extra stress on a body that’s still growing.Higher chance of tiredness,high

blood pressure and even early birth.


2.Physical:Missed periods,nausea,breast changes,growing belly,back pain and even the

hormones shifts a lot.


3.School/work:Morning sickness,fatigue,doctor visits and later the baby needs can make

schedules harder.


4.Time and energy:Pregnancy is tiring.After birth,caring for a newborn equals little sleep plus a

lot of responsibilities.


5.Feelings:Hormones can bring stress,mood swings,anxiety or worry.Some may also feel overly

happy or excited and it also completely normal.


6.Future plans:Goals around school or even career may need to be delayed or adjusted.


7.Independent income:Money is needed in order to buy baby supplies,diapers,and even for

medical care and most teenagers don’t have a steady income yet.


Although every teen’s situation is different.Support from family,friends counselors and medical

staff can make a huge difference for health and well being.


What helps prevents it?

1.Sexual abstinence:This is the only 100% effective way to prevent pregnancy and also provides

protection against sexually transmitted infections(STIs).If you don’t engage in sex, you can’t get pregnant.


2.Sex education:This means providing age-appropriate and medically accurate information about

reproductive health and healthy relationships so teens can make informed decisions.


3.Birth control/contraception:If a teen is sexually active,using contraception lowers pregnancy

risks a lot.Conclusively,teenage pregnancy means pregnancy during ages 13-19 while a girl’s body and life are still growing and changing.

It brings changes in health,daily routines,emotions and future plans for both the teen and the

baby.Health risks may be higher but regular checkups,good nutrition and support from family/

friends helps a lot.


Every situation is different.The most important thing is talking to trusted people like

doctors,nurses,counselors or family so that important decisions can be made. 




Written by:

ADUMETA, Chioma Favour

(Department of English and Literary Studies, Delta State University, Abraka)


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