Foundation suggests ways to reduce teenage pregnancy

The Executive Secretary of Youth Empowerment Foundation, Mrs Iwalola Akin-Jimoh has said that government can achieve reduction in teenage pregnancy when there is an open and realistic attitude to sexuality with effective programmes on sex education and confidential contraceptive advice.

Speaking on 2017 World Contraception Day of the theme, ‘It’s your life, it’s your future, know your body’, Iwalola charged teenagers, women and youths to take responsibility for their sexual and reproductive health life, lamenting that teenage pregnancy remained a serious social problem.

“Having children at a young age can damage young women’s mental and physical health, limit their education and career prospects, and increase their risk of living in poverty and social isolation,” she said, adding that abstinence was the best choice for teenagers and youths.

Speaking on the importance of confidence building, she said, “Young people appreciate confidentiality and youth-friendly services. Lack of confidentiality is the main reasons young people will not use various reproductive health services. So, government strategy for reduction of teenage pregnancies should include ensuring comprehensive information, counseling and support from parents, schools, health professionals and provision of easy to access youth-friendly sexual and reproductive services.”

The World Contraception Day is marked on 26th of every September with a goal to reduce the level of unplanned pregnancies.