SIXTEEN AND PREGNANT

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adolescence is the period in the life of a person comprising between 10 and 19 years old. In some cases, adolescence is interrupted when the girl gets pregnant: one in five women in the world has a child before turning 18 and each year 16 million births to teenage mothers are produced. In the poorest regions of the world, one in three women is a teenage mother.

According to experts, the most appropriate age for motherhood is between 20 and 35 years old since is less risky for both the mother and the baby’s health. Teenage pregnancy is considered high risk and carries more complications. The adolescent is not ready physically or mentally to have a baby and to take the huge responsibility that motherhood brings.

Most of teenage mothers present:

- Poor nutrition and deficiency of essential nutrients for the proper development of the baby

- An increased number of spontaneous abortions

- Premature births, a large number of babies of teenagers are born before 37 weeks of gestation

- Babies are underweight because the immaturity of their body makes their uterus not fully developed

- Teen moms have more children with health problems and developmental disorders

- In cases of pregnancies among girls under 15, the baby is more likely to be born with malformations.

Psychological complications for pregnant adolescents:

- Fear to be rejected socially: one of the consequences of adolescence and pregnancy is that the girl feels criticized by her surroundings and tends to isolate from the group.

- Rejecting the baby: girls are not willing to take time and responsibilities involved in being a mother. However, this also makes them feel guilty, sad and their self-esteem is reduced.

- Telling their families about their pregnancy is often a source of conflict and even rejection by their own environment.

- The children of teenage parents often suffer higher rates of school failure, problems of social integration or learning.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended preventing teen pregnancy by:

• Stopping marriage before age 18, 
• Increasing the use of contraceptives during adolescence, 

In any case, the best prevention is to give young people a good sex education from the bosom of the family. It is important to report the risks and complications of pregnancy in adolescence and all the changes that will occur from the time when the teenager becomes pregnant.

Communication in the family is essential; therefore, it must be open and transparent so that young people have all the information they need.

We talked to Carolina and Sabrina, two girls that now are happy mothers, about their experience with pregnancy.

BT: What is your name?
C: Carolina.
BT: How old were you when you got pregnant?
C: 16 years old.
BT: What is your child's name? 
C: Benjamin.
BT: How are you now?
C: I'm fine with my husband and my beautiful son.
BT: How old is your son?
C: 5 years old.
BT: How did your parents react to the news?
C: Badly at first, because I was a teenager and their only daughter; but then they calmed down because they knew Gabriel -my husband- was going to take care of me.
BT: What was the first solution you found to your problem?
C: I wanted to keep my baby. And, after telling my husband, he agreed, so everything was easier. I was not alone.
BT: What bad consequences did the pregnancy bring?
C: The first thing I did was leaving school. Then my friends left me because they thought I was a bad influence.
BT: And now? 
C: I take care of my son and went back to school and now I'm in college studying medicine. Gabriel is a good father and since he learned that he would be father he worked hard. Then I started working to take better care of Benjamin.

BT: What is your name?
S: Sabrina
BT: How old were you when you got pregnant?
S: 15 years old.
BT: How did your parents react?
S: They were angry, but they didn’t want me to get an abortion.
BT: And your partner?
S: He said he wasn’t ready to be a father, so he left and decided he didn’t want anything to do with my child.
BT: What was the first solution you found for that problem?
S: I decided to have my baby.
BT: What consequences did it bring you?
S: I had to leave school. I could not see my friends. In my school, when they found out I was pregnant, I was criticized.
BT: And how did you feel?
S: Depressed and lonely.
BT: Did you regret the decision you made?
S: No, because I love my daughter Lorena. Since I found out I was expecting a child, I had a unique and special feeling.
BT: Why did you get pregnant? Did you use protection? 
S: We did but the condom was pricked.
BT: What would you say to other girls that are teenagers and pregnant? 
S: It is not easy to raise a child alone. Before having sex, think about the consequences that it can bring to you and your families.

After reading about this issue and listening to those girls talk about their children, we came to the conclusion that when someone is mature enough to have sex (without using protection –sometimes-) then that person should be prepared to face the consequences and responsibilities of it.

If you still want to have sex, GET INFORMED FIRST, read, ask your parents or teachers. Using a condom or taking pills can be a safe way of avoiding not only pregnancy, but also lots of sexually transmitted diseases.

INFORM YOURSELF. BE SAFE. STAY SAFE.  

Jesica Tola and Brenda Callisaya - 5ht Year