I am a Senior Secondary student in a boys/girls school. I got d*flowered
by one of my classmates during an inter-house sports competition in the
school. Although it was kind of painful in the beginning but I ended up
enjoying it. And since that day, it has become a routine between us.
But recently, another boy came to our school; from the first day, I set
my eyes on him, I felt something deep inside of me for him prompting me
to ask him out. I allowed him to sleep with me on that day. It was so
much fun and excitement that I decided that I wanted him more than my
former boyfriend. This led to the two of them fighting and would have
become a scandal if my second boyfriend didn’t walk away.
Although my first boyfriend is hell bend on continuing with me, so much so, he forced himself on me two weeks ago...
Dear Agatha, it isn’t as much of a problem like the one I want you to
help me with. I think I am pregnant. I haven’t seen my monthly flow
which was supposed to come since last week. I don’t know who among them
has it. I am wondering if you can help me since I had my last period, on
June 1st. as at that time, I was having s*x intermittently with the two
of them since my first boyfriend was still adamant. I only stopped
about two weeks ago after which he forced me to having s*x with me.
I don’t know what to do or the money to terminate the pregnancy. My
friend has already given me some herbal solutions to take but I haven’t
since I am afraid of the look of the thing she brought.
Telling my parents is also out of it. They are too strict and
uncompromising. My father really doesn’t have any time for us as his
children while my mother is always busy trying to please her husband.
The truth is, I am desperate enough to do anything including dying if possible.
-- Desperate Student.
AGATHA's REPLY: Dear Desperate Student,
Unfortunately, when you dropped the letter with a member of our staff,
you elected not to give us your address or telephone number. Had you
done that, it would have been easy for me to contact you.
However, the first thing is for you not to drink that herbal mixture
your friend gave you. If you drink it, you may not live to tell the
story or achieve your dream in life despite your wish to die.
Taking your own life will not end your sorrows; as a matter fact, it
will only increase it because right now, it isn’t just your life alone.
There is a child inside of you who has the right to life irrespective of
how you feel about it.
If you don’t want to live for yourself; what about that child who has
nothing to do with your decision to have s*x with its father(s) without
protection? Although you may think the child has no feelings yet, but
try to remember your feelings at being neglected by your parents to
appreciate the rights of that child growing inside you.
You have made one costly mistake don’t make another one by thinking of
dying. If you have this child, you won’t be the first person to have a
child at your age.
If at the age of 15, you are already in SS 2, it means you are
intelligent with a very promising future. It would be such a sad story
to see you waste your life or dreams in your attempt to procure an
abortion at all cost.
Condemnable as your conduct is, the harm has been done. It is pointless
punishing you over what you could have done or not. I am sure your
parents would rather battle with the shame of it all than have you dead
in the course of you finding a solution on your own.
No matter how unattractive this option is, they remain your best
solution to this mess. They have the experience and knowledge on how to
proceed from where you stopped.
Let them know the mess you are in. Yes, doubtless they would be
disappointed, pained and embarrassed at how far you have gone, but the
truth remains that you need them now more than ever before.
Whatever the attitudes of your parents are, especially that of your
father, you are their daughter hence owe you some sorts of protection.
They don’t have to like what you have done; no parent of a teenage child
will ever be happy at the risk you have put your entire future as well
as the mess to their reputation, but they are the only ones you can turn
to now.
In the first instance, you are still a minor so cannot afford to take
this important decision on your own. Unless you go to a quack or
patronize peddlers of local herbs, no registered doctor will risk his
certificate to perform an evacuation on you without the express
permission of your parents.
Because you lack the quantum of experience and knowledge, get someone to
urgently tell your mother about your situation; someone she respects
and has the wisdom of approach.
For your kind of father, beyond the issue of your getting pregnant is
the important issue of his ministry. Sad as this may sound but given the
picture you have painted it is true. So if they get to find out early
enough; they would be forced to consider all available options before
the shame becomes too late to manage.
Besides, your wish to die is easier said than done. You are saying this
because you are agitated and afraid of the consequences of your actions.
Once your parents come with a rescue plan, you will suddenly have the
urgent need to want to live again.
As for who the father of the child is, I can't say as you were concurrently having s*x with both of them.
This is what would hurt your parents more than even your being pregnant.
One thing is to assume that this your pregnancy was a mistake another
thing is to be confronted with your waywardness.
To protect yourself from public ridicule, don’t even attempt to pin it
on any of the boys. By the time you put to bed and a DNA is done, the
paternity of the child would be revealed; making it difficult for the
man responsible to deny or mock you.
I am also sure that like most young girls, you plan to get married some
day. For this simple reason don’t do anything that will affect your
productivity as a woman in future. The woman’s womb is the tenderest
part of her body. Once damaged, it cannot be replaced despite
advancement in technology.
So be careful the kinds of risks you take at this delicate stage of your life. Be guided!