Causes

Based on: SpeedyRemedies.com

Lack of sex education is the most important but not the only cause of teenage pregnancy. Following are
some other teenage pregnancy causes that can not be ignored.

• Psychological factors: The immature and irresponsible behavior arising due to complex teenage
psychology is another important cause of teenage pregnancies. Teenagers often go through a number of
emotions because of their own transition from childhood and peer pressure.

In addition, weak family relationships fail to provide the emotional support that teenagers require. This
lack of attention and affection from family resulting in depression forces them to seek love and support
from other people, especially members of the opposite sex.

• Adolescent sexual behavior: As adolescence marks the onset of sexual maturity, it is but obvious that
both the sexes show interest in and explore the much hyped topics of sex, thank to the irresponsible and
careless approach of mass media.

This makes them vulnerable to teenage sex and pregnancy without adequate sex education. Lack of
sexual education causes teens to get abortions as they ultimately realize their inability to bear the
responsibilities of being a parent at such a young age.

• Lack of discipline and control: Factors like alcohol and substance abuse accompanied by unrestricted

Nonetheless, at times, parents put too many restrictions of their children, especially girls to protect
them from dangers. This overprotection gives rise to frustration and a feeling of not being loved and
cared for. Thus, balance is the key to avoid this problem.

• Socio-economic factors: Childhood environment, lower educational and income levels have also been
associated with high rates of teenage pregnancy because of negligence towards birth control methods.

Based on: teenage pregnancy in tacloban

1. Sexual abuse of teenage girls is also one of the most disgraceful causes of teenage
pregnancy. Sexual relationships between teenage girls and older men are more likely to end up
in teenage pregnancy as compared to sexual relationships between teenage boys and girls.Lack
of Parental Guidance: Most people evade their children from talking about sex. In some cases,
they provide false information regarding sex and discourage their children to participate in any
informative discussion about sex. In some cases, teenage mothers are not well educated about
sex before getting pregnant and thus this leads to lack of communication between the parents
and the children.
2. Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Among the adolescents, peer pressure is a major factor that
encourages the teenage boys and girls to indulge in sexual activities. Early dating, as early as 12
years of age, is another factor that contributes to teen pregnancy.
 3. Inadequate Knowledge about Safe Sex: Most adolescents are unaware of safe sex. They
probably have no access to the traditional methods of preventing pregnancy. And the main
reason behind is that they are either too embarrassed or fear to seek information about it.
4. Exploitation by Older Men: This is another major factor that contributes to pregnancy among
the teenagers. Those girls who date older men are more likely to become pregnant before they
attain womanhood. Rape, sexual exploitations etc. also takes place that leads to unwanted
pregnancy among teenage girls.
5. Socio Economic Factors: Teenage girls who belong to the poor families are more likely to
become pregnant. Researchers have found that even in the developed countries teenage
pregnancy occurs most commonly among the deprived sections

Based on:  student of the Hijaz Islamic Basic School

What at all is going on among our teenagers? What brings about teenage pregnancy? These are
questions Ghanaians and stakeholders ask over and over again.

A teenager is someone from the age of 13 to 19. Teenage pregnancy means a teenager who is pregnant.
Specifically in Ghana and as in many other African countries, most teenagers are in school. Naturally,
after puberty, girls can become women and be pregnant. But, it is neither safe nor convenient for a
schoolgirl to become pregnant. I would like to highlight few of the factors that bring about the menace.

Parental supervision

The first primary cause of this canker is the lack of proper supervision from parents. In some urban
areas, parents do not supervise their children. They don’t care where they are, where they sleep and
what they eat. Parents must provide for their children physically, mentally, financially and spiritually to
mould them into individual leaders for the future.

Poverty 

The second major cause to this menace is poverty. The high level of poverty in the country, especially in
the rural areas, pushes many teenagers into the cities to engage in sex trade. They easily exchange sex
for food and other favours. In effect, some of them sleep with multiple partners, thereby risking teenage
pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The next point that has to be dealt with is strong
desire for material things. The world today is becoming more materialistic; girls are interested in cars,
houses, expensive dresses and pleasures of life. The quest for material things pushes many teenagers to
engage in immoral acts such as sex so as to acquire them.

Ignorance

The third cause to talk about is ignorance about sex. The lack of sex education makes many teenagers
vulnerable to pre-marital sex that can lead to pregnancy. Parents and the educational system do not
provide sufficient sex education that makes teenagers well informed to withstand all forms of pressure
from peers and irresponsible adults. The high level of ignorance among teenagers contributes greatly to
teenage pregnancy in the country.
Irresponsible adult behaviour

Last but not least cause I wish to touch on is irresponsible adult behaviour. Some adult men are so
irresponsible that they influence teenage girls with money and presents to lure them into sex. Most of
these irresponsible adults even rape or defile their victims and this leads to teenage pregnancy and
teenage motherhood. All these causes that bring about this menace can affect the teenage girl as
outlined below.

Teenage pregnancy increases high school drop-out rate. Many pregnant girls easily drop out of school.
In fact, they are not able to continue their education because of the pregnancy. They are usually shy to
go back to school after they have been delivered of their baby.

Prostitution is also one of the effects of this canker. Many teenage mothers end up in prostitution to
make ends meet. Since they lack skill and education, they “sell their bodies” to make money to feed
themselves. Child prostitution is common in most parts of the cities and towns in Ghana.

The next effect as a result of teenage pregnancy is abandoned children. Some teenage mothers leave
their children on the street because they cannot look after them. Some might even kill the innocent
babies and this contributes to the growing number of children in the orphanages and foster homes.

Social misfits

Most of the children born to teenagers do not get adequate need in life. They lack education, skills and
training. Many of them end up as social misfits. They engage in all sorts of criminal activities such as
stealing, cheating and killing that may lead them to juvenile detention. 

Preventive measures 

To curb this, teenagers must be taught assertiveness as a skill. This will enable them to resist attempts
by their peers to engage in pre-marital sex. Those skills would allow them stand against all negative
influences. They should be bold to say “NO” to their peers and irresponsible men who want to have sex
with them.

Proper parenthood skills must be introduced. Parents should be responsible for their children’s
upbringing. Well-informed parents would help their children meet their most basic needs.

Public education on sex must be broadcast on television and radio. Parents, schools, churches, mosques
and opinion leaders must help intensify sex education among teens and the youth. This would provide
them with the needed information to resist attempts by their peers to influence them negatively. 

Also, teenage girls must dress decently in order not to attract the opposite sex. They must wear dresses
that will cover their bodies and not dresses that would expose sensitive parts of their bodies.

The Reasons Teens Get Pregnant Sources:

“Teen Pregnancy Stats, Facts and Prevention,” FamilyFirstAid. [Online.]

* “Effective Sex Education,” Advocates

Rape does happen and is one of the reasons that teen pregnancies occur. Rape by boyfriends, family
members and even strangers can result in teen pregnancy. However, many teenagers feel pressure of a
more subtle kind. Most teenage girls who engage in sexual activity, and especially those who do so
before the age of 15, admit that they wish they had waited. But often they feel pressure from their
boyfriends: three out of four girls (75 percent) report that the reason they have sex is because their
boyfriends want them to. Most of these teens regret it later, whether or not they become pregnant.

Inconsistent use of birth control

Even though the use of contraceptives has increased among teenagers, its use remains spotty. Teens
may use birth control to help prevent teen pregnancy, but most do not use contraceptives consistently.
Erratic contraceptive use, however, is better than none. A sexually active teen that does not use any
birth control has a 90 percent chance of becoming pregnant within a year. Some of the reasons that
birth control is not used include the following: uneducated about birth control, uncomfortable using
birth control methods and unable to access reliable birth control.

Abstinence-only sex education*

Despite recent government efforts to fund abstinence-only sex education, the vast majority of teenaged
boys and girls (62 percent and 70 percent) have initiated vaginal sex by the age of 18. Because of their
nature, abstinence-only programs leave out educational information on birth control. These programs
have never been shown to actually reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy. However, they are the
programs that receive the most funding from the government. There are state governments that forbid
any sort of teen sex education in schools at all. This means that teens that experiment may not have
information on birth control and are more likely to engage in activity that results in teen pregnancy.

Despite governmental focus on abstinence-only education, a majority of parents feel that sex education
in schools should include information about contraceptives in addition to abstinence. 89 percent of
parents feel that in addition to education about the benefits of teen abstinence, teenagers should also
receive education on condoms and other birth control methods. Only 15 percent of American adults feel
that abstinence-only education should be taught in schools. Most medical organizations and
practitioners support comprehensive sex education.

The Reasons Teens Get Pregnant Sources:

“Teen Pregnancy Stats, Facts and Prevention,” FamilyFirstAid. [Online.]

* “Effective Sex Education,” Advocates