Unwanted pregnancy is very common among teenage girls. Unlike with older or married women, they engage in sexual activity without knowing the consequences of their actions.
Despite having sex education in schools, the number of teenage girls with unwanted pregnancy continues to grow in number across the world.
So why is unwanted pregnancy rampant among teenagers? Psychologists believe that they have sexual intercourse because of the following reasons:
- They’re curious about sex
- They’re pressured by friends who already experienced having intercourse
- They believe that it is the “in” thing and everybody’s doing it
- They’re influenced by media like porn movies and magazines
Getting into an unwanted pregnancy has many consequences which teenagers often fail to see before engaging in sex. They see sex as experimentation that they don’t see its effects until they get pregnant. Below are some of the major disadvantages of unwanted pregnancy:
Health hazards
Having sex during your teenage years is already unhealthy plus the fact that it is a sigh of irresponsibility. When you get pregnant during this stage in life, your body is not yet ready to accommodate a human being. Your reproductive organs are still developing. Chances are your unwanted pregnancy can lead to:
- Miscarriage
- Abortion
- Abnormal delivery
- Difficult pregnancy
- Giving birth to a child with birth defects
Psychological problems
It is only normal to encounter psychological problems during an unwanted pregnancy. Being pregnant at an early age doesn’t normally happen to everybody and the life-changing situation is more than what a teenage girl can handle. Some of the psychological problems she may encounter are:
- Blaming one’s self
- Disappointment
- Depression
- Being withdrawn from society
- Poor self-esteem and confidence
Socio-educational problems
Girls, especially those who are still in school, are likely to become the subject of gossips and intrigue once they have an unwanted pregnancy. They are ridiculed and also lose some of their friends. Aside from these, they encounter problems in school like:
- Poor academic performance
- Lack of participation in co-curricular activities
- Frequent absences
- Dropping out of school
Indeed, there’s so much at stake when you get pregnant at such a young age. The best thing to do is to avoid it. Here are some ways you may consider doing to avoid unwanted pregnancy:
- Practice safe sex at all times by using contraceptives like condom
- Avoid engaging in casual sex with somebody you don’t know
- Stick to one sex partner only
- Abstain from intercourse until you’re ready
Having an unwanted pregnancy is not the end of the world for a teenager. There are many ways to deal with this problem and getting an abortion is never a solution.
You can still have a successful unwanted pregnancy as a teenager despite the problems you’ll encounter. Support from family and friends including your partner can help you deal with your situation.
You can also enjoy your pregnancy by having a positive outlook in life. Visit your doctor regularly for prenatal check-ups and undergo the necessary tests to ensure you have a safe pregnancy.
