Dr. Farouk Jega, Country Director of Pathfinder International Nigeria has decried the rate of unplanned pregnancy among youths.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Vanguard, Jega said it is not bad for an adolescent to take up family planning, adding that Family Planning Service Providers have no reason to think that they will make a decision on behalf of the adolescent.

Jega, however, noted that the concept of having adolescent-friendly centres have really not been impactful, adding that research in retrospect did not meet the expectations of a lot of adolescents.

“Most times these providers have failed to provide service to these young people and they actually feel they are doing the right thing.

“When they do this, they feel it is a normal thing for adolescent not to have sex. They feel that if adolescents have access to contraceptives, they are encouraging them to have premarital sex.

“For me, the key thing is that they are just being judgmental. All of us were once adolescents before we became adults. Our experience is enough for us to make a rational decision on what to do.

“No matter what centres they are working in, if they understand their duties and they understand that it is their duty to provide information and services irrespective of the age of the adolescent that makes the difference.

I think what I feel we should do, in any way possible, is to make sure we create the critical mass of those providers that are adolescent-friendly that know exactly what to do; that is the only way out.

“All of us are clients and, as clients, we have a role to demand good and quality services and not in a judgemental way.”

•Excerpted from The Vanguard report

Update news