Teenage mothers have been counselled not to be side-tracked by the unintended experience of getting pregnant whiles in school, but to pursue their lifetime educational aspirations, which is the key to unlock their potentials for a better future.

“They should go back to school or learn a vocation to ensure their development is not curtailed due to one mistake.” Ms. Felicia Tetteh, a Community Health Nurse at the Nzema East Municipal Health Directorate, who gave the advice said getting pregnant as a teenager posed a lot of challenges, but that should not be a barrier to progress in life.

She was addressing some young girls at an adolescent health fair held at Nsein in the Nzema East Municipality.

The event was put together by the Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives Ghana (RRIG) and the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR) in collaboration with the Municipal Health Directorate.

Funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Canadian Government, the fair sought to educate out-of-school girls in the community on reproductive health issues to empower them to make informed decisions on their choices in life. The programme, which targeted girls between the ages of 10 and 19 years was also aimed at sensitising them to avoid unintended pregnancies in order not to derail their development.

Ms. Tetteh advised them to avoid bad friends and be content with what they had, adding that, most girls got pregnant in their quest to be like their friends.

She entreated the young girls to set goals for themselves and focus on achieving them, stressing that, it was important not to be distracted by the immoral activities of their peers.

She taught them how to maintain personal hygiene, especially during menstruation to stay healthy.

Ms Faustina Osei Prempeh, Programmes Manager of RRIG said the health fair provided a platform to share information with the young girls on sexual and reproductive health and also link them to adolescent-friendly facilities for professional advice.

The overall target of the programme, she said, was to reduce teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortion among adolescent girls. GNA