HIGH TEENAGE PREGNANCY CASES IN EASTERN PROVINCE WORRYING

Dear editor, EASTERN Province last January recorded 2,946 cases of teenage pregnancies. The high cases of teenage pregnancies in Eastern Province is worrisome and surely something must be done to address the vice.

Girls as young as thirteen years fallen pregnant in some instances. This is not only shameful but also unfortunate.

The men responsibility for impregnating teenagers should be arrested to face the full wrath of the law. The perpetrators committed sexual crime notably defilement besides impregnating the teenage girls. Worse yet, most of the girls who were impregnated are below the age of sixteen.

Underage marriages in Eastern Province are equally a source of a concern. Some young girls are married off to men who are as old as their grandfathers.

However, teenage pregnancy is a deterrent to development in that some pregnant girls fail to go back to school. If this is not enough, some pregnant teenagers experience complications during childbirth. Worse still, the pregnant teenagers die during giving birth.

The traditional leaders and other stakeholders should play a critical role in sensitising girls about the dangers of indulging in illicit sex. Illicit sex can culminate in unwanted pregnancies and the sexually transimitted diseases (STDs) including HIV/ AIDS.

In a nutshell, it is true to mention here that cases of teenage pregnancies are not recorded in other provinces. This being the case, it is difficult to establish the number of teebagers who fall pregnant in other provinces.

Truth be said, the problem of teenage regnancy is a serious one which requires concerted efforts to mitigate it.

The most important thing to do is to provide statistics regarding the number of teenagers falling pregnant in other provinces. This is vital in that it will assist in planning.

Above everything else, the high number of teenage pregnancies in Eastern Province is worrying. Surely something must be done to avert the vice.

To achieve the above mentioned, there is therefore need for the stakeholders to come on board and work together. On the other hand, the government through the relevant authorities should put in place punitive measures to sternly deal the perpetrators of teenage pregnancies.