I missed a period. It was so unlikely as my cycle is so regular. We were usually pretty careful. But sometimes we just got carried away in the moment. Days passed, then weeks. I took a home pregnancy test. Bang! It was positive.

I was devastated and shattered. l did not know what to do. My future was calling. I had aced my final exams at school. I’d even landed a place in a top university. We both agreed not to tell a soul. We decided putting the baby up for adoption would be best for both of us.

My boyfriend and I started arguing all the time. We began drifting apart. I felt so alone and uncertain about what to do.

One day, when I was feeling scared, I told my aunt I was pregnant. She told my parents. My mother cut me off from the family. She said l had to leave the house and never come back. She told me I could ‘kiss going to college goodbye because there was no way she was going to pay fees for someone's wife”. She was so ashamed of me.

I had to move in with my boyfriend and his family. We ended up getting married and it’s been really hard. We feel like two strangers sometimes.

l gave birth to a bouncing baby girl and my life has changed since that day. I can’t think of college anymore. All that matters is giving our daughter the life she deserves.

I still think of my dreams of going to university. Perhaps one day I will find a way back to them.

Any unprotected sex has the possibility to cause a pregnancy. Delay having sex until you’re ready to fall pregnant. If you do decide to have sex before then, always use contraception. There are many options out there for girls. But only male and female condoms protect you from both pregnancy and STIs/HIV.

Find out how to protect against an unintended pregnancy effectively in these next articles.

This story was written by Tune Me community member.