THE ADOLESCENT Desk Officer, Osun Primary Health Care Board, Mrs. Roseline Akinlabi, has identified child marriage, peer pressure, sexual violence, and early menstruation as major contributors to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria.
Akinlabi made the disclosure during an awareness program organized by The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a non-governmental organization, on Wednesday in Osogbo.
Citing data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), she noted that Nigeria remains one of the countries with the highest rates of teenage pregnancy globally, with about 19% of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 already bearing children.
She highlighted the severe consequences of teenage pregnancy, including childbirth complications such as eclampsia, infections, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Additionally, she emphasized the social and psychological impacts, including school dropouts, limited career opportunities, depression, and trauma.
Akinlabi explained that adolescence—a transitional phase between childhood and adulthood—involves significant physical and emotional changes, making young people vulnerable to early pregnancies. Factors such as limited access to contraception, societal stigma, and misinformation further exacerbate the problem.
To address the issue, she recommended measures such as comprehensive sex education, girl-child empowerment, combating gender-based violence, and improving access to contraceptives. She also referenced the World Health Organization’s definition of adolescent pregnancy as occurring in females under 20 years of age.
The event aimed to raise awareness and promote strategies to reduce teenage pregnancy and its associated risks in Nigeria. (NAN)
