Midwife expresses concern over teenage pregnancy

Mrs Vida Takyiwaa, Midwife in-charge of Gonasua Health Centre in the Jaman South District of Brong-Ahafo Region, has expressed concern about the alarming proportion of teenage pregnancy in the area.

She said because of the rate of teenage pregnancy among girls between 15 and 16 years, school dropout was very high in the area.

Addressing a durbar on Unsafe Abortion and Sexual Reproductive Health at Gonasua, a farming community, Mrs. Takyiwaa said the situation was rife in communities such as Abrakasu, Katayiekorm and Dodoosuo in the district.

The durbar was organised by Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), a human right and media advocacy, a Non-Governmental Organisation, in line with a three-year project the NGO is implementing with support from the Safe Abortion Fund (SAF).

It is aimed at ensuring that pregnant and adolescent girls easily access safe abortion and sexual reproductive health as well as family planning services.

Mrs. Takyiwaa mentioned poor parental care, child neglect and broken homes as some of the identifiable and immediate causes of teenage pregnancy.

The midwife noted with concern that many parents failed to provide their girls with basic necessities for their upkeep during adolescent period and because the girls had little knowledge about sexual intercourse they easily got pregnant.

Mrs. Takyiwaa said in most of the communities, there was wrong perception among adolescent girls that those without sexual partners were uncivilized.

She said because these acts of immorality were getting out of hand, the Gonasua Health Center was encouraging girls in the area to opt for family planning services to control teenage pregnancy.

Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, Chief Executive Officer of GLOMEF, appealed to the Ghana Health Service and other civil society organisations to intensify education on sexual reproductive health issues in the district.

He advised parents to draw their teenage girls close to them and provide them with panties, sanitary pads and other necessities for their upkeep.

Mr. Ahenu advised the pregnant girls in the communities to attend regular antenatal clinics and entreated those who wanted to have an abortion to seek medical advice at the health center.

He said the devastating effect on unsafe abortion was numerous and advised pregnant girls to refrain from applying herbs and concoctions to terminate pregnancies.