Letters: Put in place strategies to prevent teenage pregnancy

Dear Editor, Teenage pregnancy is an issue the government is trying to prevent but in the area where I live, it is out of control.

Teenagers are supposed to be educated on sexual and reproductive health to enable them to make informed choices.

However, to the best of my knowledge, most teenagers do not have a fair idea of pre-marital sex and the negative effects of teenage pregnancy. This makes them take wrong decisions about their well-being such as taking harmful drugs to prevent teenage pregnancy.

Also, most parents and guardians do not find it necessary to have open conversations about sex and development with their children.

They are of the view that having such communication would influence the child negatively or lure them into trying things they are not supposed to do.

It is important that successful strategies to prevent teenage pregnancy are intensified. These include community programmes to improve social development and responsible sexual behaviour education in schools and churches.

Adolescents have to know the effects and complications of teenage pregnancy.

Josephine Norquaye,

Accra.