Bothered by the high rate of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents, some public health experts have called on parents and guardians to create safer space for their daughters to discuss their sexuality.
They also called for removal of barriers to access and voluntary use of modern contraceptives among adolescent girls.
According to public health experts, the increasing rate at which girls between the ages of 15- 19 engage in abortions and experienced gender-based violence is alarming and calls for urgent attention.
This development has resulted in the increase in number of single mothers and reduce productivity of the adolescents.
To change this ugly trend, a public health expert, Tunde Ogungbenro, while speaking on maternal and child health for adolescent between age 15- 19 said adolescent girls need to be trained and educated on the benefit of contraceptives and parents or guardians should make themselves available so that they can guide the girl child aright.
Another challenge identified is in the accessibility of parents and guardians when the adolescents need them most to provide advise and guide, thereby making them take alternative peer groups and others which most times misdirect their steps.
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The need for parents and guardians to make themselves available in the training of adolescent girls and provide them with necessary sex education was also emphasised in order to reduce unwanted pregnancies among the young girls.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
