adminNyaradzo Bakari, Chronicle Reporter
MOST teenage pregnancies are a result of teenage relationships and rape, a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has said.
Speaking on the sidelines of a donation of fruit hampers to 100 children at Mpilo Central Hospital’s paediatric unit recently, Maternal and New Born Care (MNBC) spokesperson Ms Patience Muchichwa said most teenagers who fall pregnant would have been in a teenage relationship or are rape victims.
“Some girls get pregnant at the age of 13. In most cases they would have been in relationships with boys their age or two to three years older. In these relationships, young people like to explore and they end up engaging in sex. The girl gets pregnant but they are both not ready to be parents. In some cases, these girls are victims of rape either by relatives or strangers and they become pregnant,” she said.
“Some cases we have dealt with are those of girls who become pregnant in relationships with older men, who then neglect them. On average most cases are fuelled by teenage relationships and rape.”
Ms Muchichwa encouraged girls to abstain from sex to avoid early pregnancy.
“What I can say to all girls is that prevention is better than cure. It is wiser to avoid sex before marriage. In cases that the mistake has happened, life goes on. We have girls who now have their lives back on track even after getting pregnant at an early age,” she said.
Ms Muchichwa said their donation to Mpilo Hospital was a way of giving back to the community and showing love to babies.
“Our organisation emphasises on loving and caring for mothers and their children. Today we are extending our love to all children in this unit. We chose Mpilo because it’s one of the biggest hospitals in the city so lending a helping hand here means we would have covered most parts of our community,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries of the donation, Ms Sharon Ngwenya, commended MNBC.
“We are grateful for the donation. We face a lot of challenges when looking after our ill babies and you would start thinking that the world has turned against you. So when people like MNBC think of us, hope is restored and we feel consoled knowing that we have people sharing our pain,” she said.
@NyarieBakie
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