Adolescent pregnancy in Breman Jamra exploring health and human rights implications

Abstract

Adolescent health and development are global issues, particularly in many underdeveloped nations such as Ghana. The study's goal was to investigate the factors of teenage pregnancy among teenage girls in Breman Jamra to inform policy decisions about the health and human rights difficulties that come with it. The study employed a case study design with qualitative approach. Using a purposive sampling strategy, fourteen (14) young ladies aged 15 to 19 years were chosen for the study. The data were collected utilizing a semi-structured interviewing guide and then thematically analyzed. The study discovered that crucial individual traits such as lack of contraception use and excessive pornographic viewing influence adolescent girls' sexual behaviour Breman Jamra. Again, peer pressure and poverty expose adolescent females to individual variables that make them vulnerable to sexual activity. Obstructed labour, preterm labour, and low birth weight were discovered to be the three most common health issues associated with teen pregnancies in the area. Another significant study conclusion is that adolescent pregnancy acts as a key impediment to girls continuing their formal education, primarily through school dropouts. The study concluded that because they were pregnant or had kids, those adolescent girls were denied their fundamental rights, such as the right to an education, equitable treatment, freedom from physical abuse, and access to social support and health information. As a result, the study proposes that government social welfare programs target teenagers who are vulnerable in society owing to a combination of contributing factors contributing to the risk of pregnancy.