Teenage pregnancy - Causes, Effects and Preventive measures.
Essay from Jeremiah Lucas Opira Memorial Contest 2023
Lamunu Anna Michelle
1st Runner up, Category 1
Teenage pregnancy is the type of pregnancy that occurs in young women of the age of 13-19 years. This pregnancy has affected lives of teenagers in our country, Uganda.
Firstly, I would like to talk about the most significant causes of teenage pregnancy. These causes are the reasons why there are a lot of teenage pregnancy cases. The causes are:
- Bad peer groups.
- Gang rape.
- Walking alone at night. Walking alone at night leads to gang rape and defilement and will lead to teenage pregnancy.
Secondly, the outcomes of teenage pregnancy are ones that have really affected the lives of people in our country. The outcomes are:
- Early marriages. This will mostly affect the lives of girls.
- School dropouts. This prevents teenage pregnancy victims from acquiring education.
Thirdly, I would like to talk about how to prevent teenage pregnancy. The government should enforce laws about teenage pregnancy. This would help to reduce the cases of teenage pregnancy. Parents and teachers should also educate both boys and girls on what teenage pregnancy causes and brings about.
As concerns advice to my fellow teenagers, I say this:
Firstly, they should avoid bad poor groups. This shall help them to avoid getting involved in dangerous things.
Secondly, they should abstain from sexual intercourse. This shall help them to avoid early teenage pregnancy. They should avoid walking at night to avoid gang rape.
In summary, teenage pregnancy has affected most lives of teenagers. We, the pupils, should have an interest in education. The enthusiasm I have would lead me to do many things for the school and community.