Teenage pregnancy in the Assin-south district

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is a social problem that affects the social well-being of teenagers. Prevention of teenage pregnancy will help to improve the livelihood of teenagers and reduce the prevalence of some social vices in Ghana. This study sought to investigate the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy in Assin-South District. Ninety pregnant teenagers or teenage mothers, 6 Head of Health Directorate and 6 Traditional Birth Attendants were interviewed for the study. Both in-depth interview guide and interview schedules were used to collect data from the field. Snow-ball and purposive sampling techniques were used to select respondents for the study. The main findings of the study were as follows. Assin-South District has an inconsistent trend of teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancies are mainly caused by inadequate knowledge on contraceptives, peer pressure, low level of education, poverty and early marriage. School drop-outs, unemployment and single parenting are the predominant consequences of teenage pregnancy. It is therefore recommended that Assin South District Health Directorate should provide much education on the use of contraceptives to teenagers in the district. The Assin South District Assembly should establish technical and vocational training centres to train teenage mothers to acquire artisanal skills for living, and parents must give priority to girl child education to limit early marriage and peer pressure influence.