Kohima, September 19 (MExN): “Curiosity and experimentation is the main cause of teenage pregnancy,” stated Dr Nuonenuo Terhase, Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecologist in a webinar organized by Family Planning Association of India Nagaland Branch on September 18.
“Teenage pregnancy is becoming a major problem with adverse pregnancy complication and leading to illegal abortions,” Dr Terhase stated.
She said that the early exposure to sexual activities like early marriage, lack of sex education and lack of knowledge of contraceptive devices as the following factors causing teenage pregnancy. There are also incidences of teenage pregnancy among teens that are exposed to domestic and sexual violence, it can occur as a result of rape. Pregnancy are also common in adolescents group who are actively involved in activities and behaviors such as abusing drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, financial constraints and unhealthy home environment, she highlighted.
It has been seen that teens between the age group of 10 to 15 years if they get pregnant they are more likely to die during the course of pregnancy or during child birth because of various complications when compared to the older age group pregnant women, stated Dr Terhase.
She mentioned that the underlying health and social consequences related to teenage pregnancy. Adding that usually teen pregnant women are not married and they hesitate to go for regular antenatal care and checkup due to social stigma and sometimes due to lack of family support leading to illegal abortion and teenage who are sexually active have increase chances of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive tract infection and STDs like HIV and Hepatitis.
In the long run, the STDs diseases causing pelvic infections and distortion will let to infertility and other instances includes anemia triggering more health complication and postpartum depression which is common among teenage mother. Social consequences include incomplete education, social stigma and negligence and abuses leading to suicide tendencies and some also engage in high risk activities.
Speaking about the prevention of teenage pregnancy, she said the primary steps is sexuality education for young people in schools, media and home and the secondary preventions are those of counseling and improve accessibility of contraception which is done in various hospitals.
Inorder to prevent the incidences there are numerous services available one such is Adolescents Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) Clinic which is available in all district hospitals and in village levels sub centers as well where the adolescents are given counseling on the use of contraceptive methods, pregnancy, childbirth etc. In the ARSH Clinic all the screening procedures are free of cost with complete confidentiality hence teenagers who are exposed to sexual and domestic abuse can also avail service in the Clinic, She informed.
As a concluding remark she stated, “It is hard to raise a child when you are still a child. Inorder to prevent teenage pregnancy, young people should be able to say no to sex and sexual activity under peer pressure and any other influence because our every action comes with bigger responsibility.”
