In the peak of my adolescent life, I got influenced by peers and my taste for fashion and recognition led me into certain risky behaviours not knowing the consequences and the effects of my action.

In my final year of Senior High School (SHS) education, I got pregnant without knowing and with no plans for childbirth. A week preceding my knowledge of the pregnancy, I frequently fell sick and visited the school dispensary to treat general body weakness. After running all necessary test which proved negative, the nurse decided to test for pregnancy which unexpectedly came out positive.

When I was presented with the result of the test, my feet went cold and felt guilty of myself. Instantly, I began to reflect on the situation I was confronted with.  The options available were either suicide or abortion. On the sober reflection of my life, suicide was out of option. I decided to terminate the pregnancy because I cannot imagine carrying pregnancy in class whiles in school preparing for my final exams.

On one Friday, I decided to visit a clinic to execute my plan of terminating the pregnancy. I got up and prepared myself and went to sign an exeat from the Senior Housemaster/ Mistress office for the weekend to have time for the abortion. Whiles in the office of the Senior Housemaster/mistress office, I was again referred to the school’s dispensary for a pregnancy test which came out to be positive.

The office of the Senior Housemistress counselled me severally to keep the pregnancy but I was determined to see through my plans of terminating the pregnancy and dropping out of school since abortion is not allowed in the school. This counselling went on till I was finally referred to International Women’s Hope Centre (IWHC) an NGO, who was into campaign against teen pregnancy, abortion and support for teenage mothers.

IWHC supported and counselled me to overcome the psychologically and emotionally to fight and overcome the temptation to abort the pregnancy. The offered me free ultrasound services, encouraged me to visit the hospital for antenatal care, provided me with some baby items when I was going to deliver and also supported me financially to go back to school for my final exams.

I delivered exactly three weeks to my final examination. I wrote the examination whiles breastfeeding and nursing my one-month-old baby girl. I am very excited I was able to sit for the exam and passed some of the subjects and still have my baby girl healthy and fit.

My dream is to pursue tertiary education. I hope to get admission into the university for a degree and have a good life for myself and my child. 

 Amabila

Bolgatanga-Upper East Region