I think that we as a community tend to judge teen pregnancy but we never bother to ask why it happens and how to help.
Misinformation
Misinformation can lead to myths and dangerous information being spread. When teenagers have limited knowledge about the subject, they may try to fill in the gaps themselves. Some may turn to unreliable sources, such as social media or their peers.
Social media often rewards information that is shocking and gets clicks, rather than information that is accurate. At the same time, there can be a lot of shame surrounding questions about intimacy and relationships. Some teenagers may feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, or afraid of being judged when they want to ask questions. Because of this, they may avoid asking for help and instead rely on misinformation.
The media can also influence how young people understand relationships. Television and movies can create unrealistic ideas about intimacy, relationships, and consent. Some media portray unhealthy or violent behaviour as normal or enjoyable, which can create confusion about what healthy relationships are supposed to look like.
Many teenagers may encounter these portrayals before they have learned about consent, boundaries, and healthy relationships. This can affect their understanding of what is and is not acceptable.
Family and home environment
In some families talking about these types of things are taboo and uncomfortable so they don’t try to educate their children. Stricter households make talking about it seem blasphemous and inappropriate all together. Fearing punishment and judgement they avoid talking about it. A more sensitive factor can be relationships where the younger person is being taken advantage of and has little to no power.
A teenager experiencing neglect and emotional abuse in the home can leave them without a proper support system and a trusted adult to guide them.
Some parents neglect or dismiss their child’s needs in order to please their partner. Their child watches as they tolerate abuse from their partner, a lot of them grow up hating it but somehow find themselves stuck in a relationship just like that. That’s because familiarity can feel like normality and to some that can feel safer or the « right » way to love. They begin tolerating the same disrespect and the cycle continues.
Pressure from partners
Pressure from partners is unfortunately very common in these situations. They use tactics such as:
- Threats of leaving
- Manipulation
- Guilt
- Repeated pressure
And to go back to the last paragraph, if a child grows up in a house where it’s normal to sacrifice your own boundaries in order to please your partner it can lead them to believe that their feelings are invalid and that they need to suck it up.
CONCLUSION
Teen pregnancy is a lot more complicated than what it seems on the surface and we need to reach out to those that are dealing with it right now and help. No one knows what it’s like to be in another person’s shoes so why should we speak for them, why should we tell them how to feel and how to act? We need to open up these conversations to better understand each other.
Thank you for reading
Kossy Akaeze
[email protected]
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