THE 70S SAW an era of an alarming rate of teenage pregnancies across the world. Even though the birth control pills were introduced in 1961, it faced resistance all over the globe. Family planning was implemented on a wide scale in 1980s when people started to respond. By the 90s, teenage pregnancies declined. But the new millennium points in the direction of rising concern on the matter.
Teenage pregnancies are a matter of concern for both the child as well as the mother who are prone to various social, emotional, economic and health problems. We need to impart sex education in schools in an organised manner so as to stem the issue from its roots.
Lila Kapur, social worker says, “India has a social structure which has been struggling to get over its past since decades. Child marriages are still prevalent in India the outcome of which is an increase in teenage pregnancies. Also, various cases of rape on minors and other factors like lack of adequate sex education in teenagers have resulted in teen pregnancies.”
Zeba Smith, counselor says, “Teen pregnancies can also be attributed to the irresponsible behaviour of the media. Certain scenes and themes depicted in movies, music videos and even serials have led to an increase in teenagers being strayed. Teens have impressionable minds and tend to imitate on-screen actors and actresses. Also, the boon in technology and access to pornography is misleading children.”
Teen pregnancy is one that occurs from puberty to 19years of age and is also known as Adolescent Pregnancy. Puberty is the stage of adolescence when a young girl can reproduce. However reproduction can also take place before the first menstrual cycle.
Vishal Nagpal, a computer engineer from Chandigarh feels, “Teenagers have access to all sorts of stuff these days. They can easily get carried away by dating trends in the west and end up goofing up. Dating trends in India are changing with time. Teenagers start dating at an early age and are often carried away or due to inadequate knowledge find themselves in crucial circumstances.”
Indira Bakshi, educationist feels that our society is changing rapidly and it is our moral duty to educate teenagers of the implications of pregnancy and other diseases associated with unprotected sex. Use of contraceptives should be encouraged all over the country. Parents must overcome their whims and understand that they need to sit down and have a friendly discussion with their child on issues related to sex.
Mohan Sharma, businessman says, “Prevention is better than cure and creating general awareness among teenagers is the need of the hour. I have two daughters, the elder one is 14 and the younger one is 12. My wife makes it a point to sit with them and discuss about their daily school activities and keeps a constant check on whom they are talking with over the phone. She also gives them the required space. Maya, my 14 year old had a crush on a schoolmate. My wife handled it well. She told Maya that at this tender age she needed to be more careful as well as feel responsible for her actions.”
Parents need to spend more time with their children and try to understand their problems. They must never compare the new generation with their time as this will only create a communication barrier. What parents need to do is inculcate values of responsibility and reasoning in their children. They must teach them to judge between right and wrong.
Rachita Suri, student says, “Many a times girls surrender to their boyfriends in teenage only because of peer pressure or because the guy threatens to ditch the girl. For most girls it is their first love /crush and they don’t want to part that easily.”
Sunny Juneja, student feels, “It is considered to be cool to have sex during the teens. You are not considered to be a man unless you lose your virginity. Friends often tend to tease a guy who is incapable of befriending a girl and then taking her to bed. Another thing is that it is even better to date an older woman these days as she is considered to have more knowledge and experience.”
Sahil Mehta, Student says, “More and more teenagers are indulging in unprotected sex these days as they know that it is not all that difficult to get away with it. There are a number of options for abortion of which pills are the most common and you don’t need to have a doctor’s prescription to get them. Moreover, most teenage boys have a number of whims about using condoms or feel shy about getting them from a store.
India might have changed in a number of ways, but according to a research most teenage girls feel that they have fallen in love in their very first relationship. They think about marriage and it is not difficult for their boyfriends to induce them into the act by reciting a few sugar coated words.
Another research shows that girls exposed to child abuse, assault, violence, broken homes and few friends or support groups are at a higher risk of teenage pregnancies. The worst part is that in certain cases due to lack of adequate knowledge girls don’t even realise that they are pregnant until the fifth month.
Parents and education institutes need to gear up and impart proper and adequate sex education. We need to raise a generation of responsible adults who are capable of taking care of themselves. We mustn’t give a blind eye in the direction and take everything for granted because out there some kid is ruining his/her life right now.
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