Teenage Pregnancy Not Just Statistics
I've been at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital, Mampong since morning because my mum will be having a surgery today. The hospital was named after Tetteh Quarshie, the first man to plant cocoa in Ghana. He brought it from Fernando Po (hope I got the spellings correct) and because it was illegal to take cocoa seeds out, he swallowed them and when he got to Ghana, did his thing to get back the seeds and plant them. Now Ghana is a major exporter of cocoa meeting about a quarter of the world's cocoa needs.
the junior high student
The surgery was to be done at the maternity block so I had to hang around there. They don't have a waiting room at the maternity ward, so it's either I go to the main Out Patient Department's (OPD) waiting room or I stand outside the hospital. I decided to hang around the corridors close to the ward so I will know when they come for my mum.
Whiles standing there, I got to see people who were coming for medical attention and hear the conversations going on (I wasn't eavesdropping). To my utmost surprise, there were three teenagers there. I've been hearing in the news of teenage pregnancy and I've only known about it in terms of statistics. Today I got the chance to see one girl in junior high school and two girls in senior high school who came there today.
In the African culture where sex is a big deal and teenage pregnancy frowned upon, it's a shame that authorities are paying little attention to people in school. One of the girls who was in senior high school (I know this because of their uniforms) came there alone and wouldn't allow the nurses to call her parents or anyone for that matter. Her story was, she got pregnant and her boyfriend gave her some medications to take an abort the baby (abortion is illegal in Ghana). She was having severe pains throughout the night and that's why she's come there today. Her boyfriend didn't accompany her, and I'm guessing it's because he's above 18 and the girl would be around 15 years (it's an offence to sleep with anyone under the age of 16 even with consent).
I looked at her and I was sad. Her parents most likely believe she's in school studying hard but she's in the hospital. I was wondering what would have happened if she had died in boarding house (she's a boarding student "from the conversations I heard") from complications of trying to abort the baby. Her parents would probably have marched to the school and blamed school authorities for death even before any investigations would be done. If someone sbould ask them about their daughter, they would probably tell everyone how holy and innocent she is.
The 3 girls will be around the ages of 14-16 (I'm guessing) and it's a shame that such a thing has become "normal" to the nurses and those who visit the hospital often. Something needs to be done and quickly because if things continues this way, I wonder what will happen to the future of Ghana. We have kids who aren't old enough becoming parents. How can they take care of their children?
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I am not quite sure how sex education goes in Ghana but where I came from, in the Philippines, we have the same problem. Abortion is also illegal.
I just want to point this out that, it would have been better if our government advocates more for human sexuality- not blatantly advertising contraceptives or whatever but at least, they should educate the people more.
They should. They rather go around introducing them to condoms and contraceptives
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Sorry to hear about your mother. I hope she gets better soon.
It is not normal to a nurse or doctor but you find it better if these children are kicked out of hospital too?
If my child was in a boarding school or student home I would blame that too. I expect my child to be save and there are rules plus there is control.
I find it very interesting you blame the girls here for getting pregnant.
As long as these so called boyfriends are not punished it will keep happening. Boys, men easily talk into girls, make them believe they are the only one, you will not get pregnant the first time or if they pull back at the right time. (In Dutch they call it "leaving church before singing).
That boyfriend talked her into an abortion did not care about her health and deserves prison. He had his fun and should pay for it now.
Read @hashzone91 his post and my comment.
You have my (discord) vote. Happy Saturday. 🔆💕
The girls after leaving the hospital will probably go back to their boyfriends. There are rules and laws, but the girls won't even report it. 2018, a guy was sent to court for sleeping with a girl under 16 with consent. The girl later denied that happened when she went to the court, so how can the girls not be blamed?
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Because girls on a young age are easy to talk over and have fears. Any idea what your life looks like if you are threatenef and stalked for 14 years or longer? Besides of the fact everyone blames you anyway.
I doubt in the Netherlands the police would do anything if you are under 16 and have sex, no matter if it is free will or rape. The police laughs in your face, the guy says you are a slut and he thought you were way older and court does nothing.
So you are stuck with a kid and no matter what the guy goes out for free.
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I get you, but the girls here aren't threatened in anyway. They even visit guys and when they aren't "touched" they could go around spreading rumors that the guy is impotent
There are many ways of threatening... In an emotional way for example... being afraid to lose someone, have to live without live, the one you think/believe is the only one who will ever love you.
Perhaps you are right. You only have great old guys in your country who love to have sex with minors and all these girls ask for it and it is their own choice. Your country will be the only country having/raising this kind of girls and there is something seriously wrong with you people and you should not have children in the first place. 🤔
😊I understand the men should know better...I just don't want to accept that men are always to blame
No the parrents are to blame. I would kick my kids their asses no matter the gender or age.
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Most often, they are
I am sorry to read about this. It is sad that this kind of issue is not being taken care of by the authority. In my personal opinion this kind of problem will take time to deal with and if any quick solution is possible, that will be great but this problem is very delicate and intricate to deal with sadly
Plans need to be made as soon as possible before it gets any worse
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