Editorial
Address worries of teenage girls to avoid unintended pregnancies
Peer pressure, social or familial pressures, and restricted access to and understanding about contraception are some of the issues that teenage girls deal with which can lead to unwanted pregnancies.
Additionally important are socioeconomic issues like poverty and a lack of educational opportunity. Some girls may also be subjected to sexual violence or coercion, which can result in pregnancy.
Despite the fact that teenage girls are vulnerable and lack correct information on these topics some parents are not prepared to teach their teenagers about sexual health, contraception, and the dangers of getting pregnant too young.
Teenage pregnancy is more likely when there is a lack of parental direction and social pressure to be married.
Additionally, some cultures may have conventions that glamorise adolescent motherhood or prohibit candid conversations about sex and contraception. Even in cases where information is available these teenage girls may encounter obstacles in obtaining and affording contraception.
Unfortunately, some youth have low self-esteem, which can lead to risky behaviours or a failure to prioritise their future academic or professional aspirations, increasing their risk of unplanned pregnancies.
The Spectator therefore agrees with Ms. Helen Korkor Quarcoo, the Chief Superintendent of Prisons (CSP) and Head of the Commercial Unit at the Senior Correctional Centre in Accra, that for teenage girls to feel safe, their parents must love and care for them without conditions.
She made the call in an interview at a recent conference on “Access to Agency: Empowering women through digital inclusion” in Accra,
The Senior Officer said that the majority of adolescent pregnancies are typically caused by emotional difficulties that lead to teenage girls seeking out affection and love outside of their homes. Teenage pregnancy may be a traumatizing reaction to emotional deprivation, with severe physical and psychological effects on the girl child.
“Some of these teenage children living in the villages and remote areas who are not loved at home usually get brainwashed by false love from some irresponsible area boys/men who later impregnate them and run away,” she said.
Since teenage girls may seek affection, attention, or validation through relationships that could result in teenage pregnancies, parents must make sure they pay attention to their emotional needs.
It is worthy to note that every adolescent girl has different obstacles to overcome so parents, especially fathers must help them develop a sense of self-worth in order to boost their emotions of worthlessness.
Teenage girls require committed resources, education, and supportive services to help them deal with these difficult situations.
Editorial
Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education
Dr. Francis Wuobar, a Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.
According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.
“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.
Dr. Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.
“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.
He observed that many adolescents lack access to counseling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.
“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he said.
Dr. Wuobar therefore called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.
He emphasized that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.
“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.
He further appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counseling.
That, he said, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Editorial
Addressing unhealthy conditions at Akropong Mandela Market
Dear Editor,
The Akropong Mandela Market, a vibrant centre of commerce, has been in a terrible state for over a decade now.
Central to the problem is a public toilet located near the market, which has become a breeding ground for diseases and a source of discomfort for both food vendors and customers.
This toilet, utilised by everyone in the town, is positioned too close to the market, severely affecting the vendors who spend long hours selling their goods.
They are constantly exposed to unsanitary conditions mixed with foul odours emanating from the facility.
Agnes, a vendor at the market is sad about the apparent lack of concern from those responsible for maintaining the toilet. Despite collecting user fees, there seems to be little effort to keep the facility clean and hygienic.
The situation at the Akropong Mandela Market highlights the urgent need for effective waste management and sanitation infrastructure in public spaces.
Authorities must take immediate action to ensure the facility is regularly maintained and cleaned. Vendors and customers deserve a safe and healthy environment to conduct their daily activities.
In the meantime, the vendors are urging local government officials to intervene and find a lasting solution to this problem.
Only through collective action can the health and well-being of both vendors and customers be safeguarded to restore the Akropong Mandela Market to its former glory as a thriving commercial hub.
Addo Sarah Ansah Student,
UNIMAC–IJ(BACS26275)
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