The role of the family in unwanted and untimely pregnancies

Rev. Noel Nuyaba, a marriage counselor and a pastor at Kingdome Restoration Ministries talks on the role of family in unwanted and untimely pregnancies.

Rev. Noel says “the family has a vital role to play in unintended unwanted pregnancies.  The role can be either positive which is to end unwanted pregnancies or negative which is to encourage unwanted pregnancies.  The positive role of the family is to educate girls and boys. Education plays a critical role in keeping girls/boys safe from unwanted pregnancies. Education ensures you acquire the skills and knowledge to find employment and a means to support their families. This helps break the cycle of poverty and prevent unwanted pregnancies that occur as a result of extreme poverty. Also, empowering girls by the family so that every girl has the right to decide her own future. Also, the family should rally the wider community to stand up for girls' rights. The family should advocate for the rights of the girl to stop unwanted pregnancies. Parents should always advise their children on the ills of early and unwanted pregnancies and teach their children on high quality, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education that offers information on decision making skills and gender relations with respect to sexuality, reproduction, contraception and STD's including HIV/AIDS.  Always give an opportunity for children to speak out and tell them about abstinence, fidelity, condoms.  Finally, parents should be educated on the ills of early and unwanted pregnancies. This will go a long way to make them see the need for their kids to prevent themselves from early and unwanted pregnancies.

Written by Che Engochan with the consultation of Rev. Noel Nuyaba