According to Esther Korama Quartey, the rise in teenage pregnancies is not only due to teenage promiscuity but sometimes it is as a result of rape.
Speaking to Sammy Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, she stated that attempts to arrest culprits of rape have proven futile as some pregnant teenage mothers who were victims of rape refuse to open up and call out their abusers for fear of further abuse or even death in some extreme cases.
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“Some of these pregnant teenagers are reluctant to point out their abusers for fear of further abuse or death due to threats they received from their abusers. Sometimes we involve security services but unfortunately, by the time these girls finally open up, the culprits would have fled.”
She revealed that on an annual basis, more than a hundred pregnant teenagers go into labour. Year in year out, the numbers keep increasing.
She also mentioned some of the challenges these young expectant mothers face during pregnancy and the psychological trauma they face after delivery.
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“Some of these girls are orphans who live with their grandparents and because of financial difficulties, they skip antenatal sessions. The National Health Insurance (NHIS) does not cover most of their medications. They end up having avoidable complications during labour which consequently affect their health. Some also develop postpartum depression and some of them even abandon their new born babies.
By Belinda Baaba Baidoo
