Dealing with adolescent pregnancy in Nigeria

People of all ages living a healthy life remains one of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. An indicator of improvement is a decrease in the rate of adolescent births. However, in Nigeria, Africa’s most populated nation and one of the nations that accepted the UN targets, adolescent pregnancy remains an issue. Daily Trust on […]

People of all ages living a healthy life remains one of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. An indicator of improvement is a decrease in the rate of adolescent births. However, in Nigeria, Africa’s most populated nation and one of the nations that accepted the UN targets, adolescent pregnancy remains an issue. Daily Trust on Sunday writes.

Adolescent or teenage pregnancies are those experienced by young women aged 10 to 19 years old, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The mother’s age is determined by her age at the time of the birth of the child. Adolescents are young women between the ages of 15 and 19, whereas younger adolescents are girls aged 10 to 14.

This is due to “a significant difference between a 12- or 13-year-old girl and a young lady of say 19,” according to the international health organization.

The number of births and pregnancies per 1,000 people in a given population is reported. Rates per 1,000 adolescents aged 15 to 19 are frequently used in country comparisons, with the WHO stating that analogous data on younger adolescents is only “sometimes accessible.”

The most recent data on teenage pregnancy can be found in the 2018 demographic health survey. Every five years, the DHS is conducted.

From August to December 2018, 8,448 girls aged 15 to 19 were questioned around the country. The participants were asked if they had given birth to a live child or if they were expecting a kid.

According to the poll, 19% of young women had started having children. This was recorded at 23 % in the 2013 and 2008 editions of the poll, down from 25 % in 2003. According to the DHS, the rate was 28% in 1990.

Female teenagers in Nigeria’s north-west geographic zone were nearly five times (29 %) as certain to have had children than their counterparts in Nigeria’s south-west region, according to a 2018 poll (6 per cent).

Only 1% of adolescent women in Lagos State, the country’s commercial metropolis, had begun child bearing, opposed to 41% of adolescents in Bauchi state in North East Nigeria.

Research carried out by Ibrahim Isa Ayuba and Owoeye Gani in the Niger Delta region disclosed that in that region, adolescent pregnancy is more popular among women with little formal education, who are unemployed, unmarried, and have insufficient antenatal care and obstetric risks for a poor pregnancy outcome. 

Mrs Ayomide, a pastor and counsellor for young girls in her church, noted that a lot of factors come into play in relation to adolescent pregnancy. She noted that most times, some of the girls involved do not wish to face such scenarios.

“I’ve helped a few teenage girls who happen to get pregnant out of wedlock and believe me when I tell you, if you hear their stories, for majority of them, its never their fault or what they wanted.

“Often times, these girls are being raped, molested, are suffering from alcohol or substance abuse. They also lack proper parental supervision and even when there is supervision, there are still cases of familial relatives molesting the girl child at home,” she said.

She also noted that in recent times, a lot of girls had consented to sexual behaviour without having proper knowledge of their bodies and also the proper use of contraception.

“Even some older women still lack knowledge on contraception and family planning, how much more a young girl who is barely done with her secondary school?”

Halima Yusuf, who is a lawyer and mother of two girls, also mentioned that religion and culture play a role in the significant number of adolescent pregnancies in the North. She mentioned that child marriage has a direct effect on adolescent pregnancy.

She said according to the 2003 Nigeria’s child’s right act, No one under the age of 18 was considered “capable of contracting a legitimate marriage,” yet this was not the case everywhere.

“We live by a tradition that accepts a girl child to be married at a young age. Once you’re married, the next thing that is expected of you is to start bearing children no matter how young you are. We may have government laws that do not support it but that is yet to be adopted by the northern region,” she stated.

Udeme Essien recalled to Daily Trust on Sunday what her pregnancy days were like. She mentions that her pregnancy came about from wrong decisions and mistakes she had made over time.

“I was 14 and scared. I didn’t know what was happening. I felt very uncomfortable throughout that phase. I felt bad that I was at home and pregnant when my mates were in school. Also, the fact that my parents would constantly remind me of the shame I had brought to the family with my pregnancy.”

Udeme who is now 22 said that adolescent pregnancy is not an experience any young girl should face, especially when they have to face it on their own. 

“Asides having to go through the painful experience of child-bearing, you have also assumed the position of motherhood. Not many young girls are prepared for all that. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been groomed for the experience or not, it’s best experience at an age where you are able to make decisions and understand the changes that will occur to your body.”

Consultant Gynaecologist at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Dr Nathaniel Adewole, said that asides the acceptance of early marriage in the Northern region, early pregnancy stems from various factors such as juvenile delinquency, broken families, early exposure to pornography and social media.

In an interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, he said although a girl can get pregnant at a tender age, her body is not fully formed to carry along the pregnancy. He explained that; “Although from 18 a girl is strong enough for child-bearing, the optimal age is 22.”

He further stated that “A girl between the ages of 11 – 14 is bound to face more child bearing challenges compared to one whose body has been fully formed. At that tender age, the girl is exposed to anaemia, vaginal fistula, psychosis, increased risk of operative labour, prolonged obstructed labour, psychological trauma of dropping out of school and becoming a young mother.

“In an instance where the girl runs away from home and is dealing with the pregnancy alone, she will also be malnourished. The child in question may not develop well after delivery and may suffer from cerebral palsy,” he said.

To address teenage pregnancy, Dr Adewole suggests that teenage girls receive basic primary and secondary education, awareness on the risk of early pregnancy, sensitization on family planning and use of contraception. 

“Young girls, especially those in the rural areas should have education available, accessible and affordable. More women should be empowered so that they don’t get to send their children into prostitution or to hawk on the street as these puts them right in the eyes of predators.

“I’d also suggest that parents put in more effort when training their male children. You can train your daughter to be a responsible girl, but what happens when she meets an irresponsible man?” he asked.