The Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate has unveiled that approximately 86 percent of adolescent pregnancies in Tema are attributed to men aged between 20 and 39 years.The Adolescent Health Advocate for the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, Doris Ocansey, disclosed this during an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

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She highlighted that the conclusion drawn by her team was based on thorough research into the backgrounds of the men responsible for impregnating these girls, particularly in Tema Manhean.Ms. Ocansey emphasized,“We collected the data so that we can also focus on the adults since they are impregnating the girls.

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”The research findings indicated a significant age disparity between the adolescent girls and the men, making it challenging for the former to advocate for contraceptive use to prevent pregnancies effectively.Furthermore, the data revealed that a considerable number of pregnant girls were junior high school graduates.Ms.

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Ocansey issued a stern warning to men, urging them to refrain from engaging with adolescent girls to allow them to concentrate on their education and careers instead of bearing children at a tender age.

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She elaborated that between January and December 2023, a total of 355 pregnant adolescents aged 10 to 14 and 331 aged 15 to 19 were enrolled in the municipality's safety net program, designed to monitor and support them throughout their pregnancies.Ms.

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Ocansey emphasized the program's objectives, which include reducing repeated pregnancies among adolescents, lowering maternal mortality and morbidity rates, and promoting postpartum family planning.“For some of the girls, this was not their first pregnancy, but their second or third. We want to stop that, so if you make the mistake of getting pregnant, you won’t have to fall back into it again,” she said.

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Out of the enrolled participants, 42 were attending school before their pregnancies, with four in primary school, 26 in junior high school, and 12 in senior high school.To ensure these girls do not drift after childbirth and engage in transactional sex, support is provided to help them decide whether to resume schooling or pursue vocational training or trading opportunities.

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By the end of December 2023, 108 girls had opted to return to school post-delivery, 146 chose vocational training, 30 expressed interest in trading, and 37 remained undecided about their post-delivery plans.

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