Nyagatare, parents should talk with children about sex to fight teen pregnancies
Francine Andrew
Some people in Nyagatare district call for parents to talk with their children about the functioning of sex, in order to prevent and fight teen and unwanted pregnancies.
Peruth Uwineza is the Executive secretary of Kizirakome cell, Karangazi sector in Nyagatare district; she says that some parents are responsible for their teen girls’ unwanted pregnancies because they didn’t care enough about their children’s behaviors.
“some teens will be crossing around and getting home late at night, but their parents don’t care enough to ask them where they were and what they have been doing until that late; they don’t even care about the changes happening on their children’s bodies and they never have the courage to talk with them about sex.” Said Uwineza.
Uwineza says that parents should stop complaining about their children not complying with their wishes, and start following up as they are growing up, what they learn from outside and from different forum they are parts of, so that they can control what information teens are gathering either about sex life or other things.
The president of the national women council in Karangazi sector, Phoebe Mukarubogo, says that parents should not be shy to talk about sex in front their children, because nowadays some of those young people do sex more than married couples.
“One of the main challenge is the parents that are not courageous enough to sit with their children and talk openly about sex, or about reproductive health, until the child is a teen and adult ; but at the end of the day you will find that the children you were afraid of telling about sex they even do sex like old people.” Said Mukarubogo.
Mukarubogo added that they are mobilizing parents and all institutions responsible, to follow up closely their children’s transition from children to youth and to adulthood; she then calls upon parents to talk with their children about sex.
Nyagatare district was leading with registered 1,465 teen pregnancies in 2018, but later in 2021 before the end of the year, Karangazi sector has already counted 97 teen mothers.
