Medical experts in Osun State have called for increased awareness about the dangers of unsafe abortions, especially among young people. During a stakeholder workshop organised by the African Coalition for Research and Communication on Abortion, lead researcher Dr. Olutoyin Ikuteyijo revealed that many youths still lack adequate knowledge about the risks of unsafe abortion, and the state has a high rate of unplanned pregnancies among adolescents.
Ikuteyijo emphasized the need for accessible, stigma-free sexual education outside clinical settings and urged the government to provide inclusive, gender-neutral sexual education. She noted that restrictive laws also hinder young people’s access to proper healthcare for unwanted pregnancies.
Osun State’s Director of Public Health, Dr. Akeem Bello, added that the government is working to improve sex education and train health workers, but more grassroots awareness is needed.
A former Executive Secretary of the Osun Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Adeniyi Oginni, argued that preventing unwanted pregnancies through community education and promoting healthy lifestyles is key, but this stance risks shifting the blame away from the state. The research findings clearly show that unplanned pregnancies arise from systemic gaps—not merely personal behaviour.
SOURCE: Nigerian Tribune, by Adeolu Adeyemo, 11 November 2025; PHOTO: Nigerian Tribune.