Pretoria teenagers between the age of 10 and 19 have contributed. The human sciences research councils teenage pregnancy report was released on 28 august 2009, based on a study it had conducted on behalf of the department of education. Teenage pregnancy is a big problem in south africa. One controversial practice that may be impacting teenage pregnancy in south africa is that of virginity testing in rural kwazulunatal, where girls on average between the ages of 7 and 26 allow a stranger to check if their hymens are intact. South africa address unplanned teenage pregnancy at both an individual and structural level. Teenage pregnancy can have a profound impact on your future. This implies that the media has no significant influence on the prevalent rate of teenage pregnancy in the. As evident in a recent article in a national newspaper, entitled pregnancy tsunami the times, 21 february 2011, teenage pregnancy is an emotive issue in south africa. Durban south africa has a huge teenage pregnancy problem, with girls as young as 10 routinely falling pregnant. The girls are overjoyed when the test confirms they are virgins. Teenage pregnancy in south africa is mainly a problem among women who live in rural, povertystricken areas, south africa s urban female adolescents, however, are also at a high risk of finding themselves pregnant at an early age.
For much of human history, it was absolutely common that girls married during their late adolescence and experienced first birth during their second decade of life. Findings from this study are that teenage fertility in south africa has been declining over time. Ectopic pregnancy, in which the fetus begins to develop outside the uterus, often in a fallopian tube, is another complication. Teenage pregnancy amongst school learners, and in sa. A study of the high rate of teenage pregnancy in high schools. Jan 27, 2018 studies from ghana, nigeria, swaziland, kenya, tanzania, and south africa reported the influence of peers in adolescent pregnancy. A number of factors contribute to continued schooling among pregnant and parenting adolescents in south africa. Now add in the extra complication of being a teenage mom, and youre looking at some epic challenges.
Majority of service providers believe poverty is a major factor causing teenage pregnancy while these practices as strategies by the youth to alleviate poverty, they however are further exposed to stis and in particular, hiv and aids. Reducing teenage pregnancies has been a topical focus on the development. This definitive text covers all aspects of hivaids in south africa, from basic science to medicine, sociology, economics and politics. There is information about all things related to pregnancy and having a.
It is a particularly pernicious problem in rural areas, where young girls hoping to escape poverty make easy prey for older men, known here as. Although immediate determinants of teenage pregnancy in south africa relate to behaviour, the fundamental drivers are more deeply rooted institutional problems of poverty, underdevelopment and. Whilst its problematic nature is a subject of debate, it reflects a pattern of sexual activity which puts teenagers at risk of hiv. Teenage pregnancies can cause a slew of chronic medical and behavioral issues for the resulting child. Adverse medical effects of teenage pregnancies have been. While most teen pregnancies are unplanned, even a planned pregnancy has risks and potential complications. Worldwide, teenage pregnancy rates range from 143 per 1,000 in some subsaharan african countries to 2. Teenage pregnancy is labeled alongside obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer rates as a major public health problem 5, 7, 28. It calls for school management teams smts to acquire critical skills to manage teenage pregnancy within the requirements of the constitution of the republic of south africa, 1996 and the south african sc hools act 84 of 1996. Professor akim mturi of the northwest university presented a talk is south. The study analyzes both the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and its determinants. The effects of teenage pregnancy on the educational. It is often the result of scarring from a sexually transmitted disease.
Teen, preteen pregnancies still rife south africa news. Factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in south africa. The application of social disorganisation theory conference paper pdf available april 2015 with 7,053 reads how we measure reads. Nearly 1 million babies are born to teens each year, including 18 and. Prevalence and factors associated with teenage pregnancy.
It calls for school management teams smts to acquire critical skills to manage teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy and the south african schools act. The problem with teenage pregnancy in south africa is also peculiar to the world at large. Particularly mentioned in a study from nigeria 41, peers encourage their friends to get boyfriends. Mar 24, 2014 teenage pregnancy has become commonplace in our communities with about 90 000 schoolgoing girls falling pregnant in 2012, according to official statistics. Not only does teenage pregnancy pose a health risk to both mother and child, it also has social consequences, such as continuing the cycle of poverty including early school dropout by the pregnant teenager. The association between teenage pregnancy and social disadvantage, however, is. The association between teenage pregnancy and social disadvantage, however, is not just found in the united states. Adolescent pregnancy and associated factors in south.
Yes choma, being a mom is hard probably one of the most challenging jobs out there. The average duration of pregnancy in humans is about 280 days, equal to 9 calendar months. Without the proper support and help, a teen mother is less likely to finish high school and pursue a career. Decreases in the rate of teenage pregnancy are often discussed with the emphasis that society must still be vigilant, since any teen pregnancy rate is a cause for concern. Pregnancy in south africa is getting safer, but still not safe enough. Determinants of adolescent pregnancy in subsaharan africa. Eighteen african countries appear in a united nations list of 20 countries with the. Teenage pregnancy in south africa is driven by many factors including. Teenage pregnancy has become a very serious social problem in south africa, and pregnancy under the age of seventeen has been viewed as a catastrophe for individuals, family and society greathead, 1998. Relationship dynamics and teenage pregnancy in south africa. Teenage marriages are a larger factor than unwanted conceptions in many of the countries with the most teen pregnancies. Complications of pregnancy include eclampsia, premature birth, and erythroblastosis fetalis rh incompatibility.
Jump to media player south africa s education ministry is considering policies to introduce longterm contraception to schoolgoing teenagers. In south africa one in three girls has had a pregnancy before the age of twenty. This response should not only be limited to the government but should extend to civil society, ngos, the academic fraternity, traditional and religious leadership and most importantly adolescents and young people themselves. Moreover, according to the united nations population fund unfpa, today, countries in africa have the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world. Adolescent pregnancy and associated factors in south african youth. A report from south africa s department of basic education. Teenage pregnancy and parenting at school in contemporary. It is a particularly pernicious problem in rural areas, where young girls hoping to escape poverty make.
List of books and articles about teenage pregnancy online. Teenage pregnancy in south africa is growing rapidly among schoolgoing pupils and it leads to school dropout as the teenage mothers have to leave school to care for their babies. The hsrc research data service provides a digital repository facility for the hsrcs research data in support of evidence based human and social development in south africa and the broader region. Crank by ellen hopkins, not my daughter by barbara delinsky, bumped by megan mccafferty, a grownup kind of pretty by. Experiences of pregnancy and motherhood among teenage. Today, such research remains, yet the quantitative investigation of factors beyond the individual level has been limited. It is also for the parents of teenagers who fall pregnant. I published my first article on teen births 25 years ago 2, the teen fertility rate. There are many studies regarding teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortions, and family planning among teenagers, but very little is known about what happens after pregnancy, ie, the experience of teenage motherhood. Awareness of prevention of teenage pregnancy amongst. The world health organisations latest fact sheet on adolescent pregnancy highlighted that the issue is still a major contributor to maternal and child mortality. Adolescent pregnancy remains a major contributor to maternal and child mortality.
Teenage pregnancy rates are tracked with concern and there are regular media reports about the issue of teen pregnancy. In reporting teenage pregnancy rates, the number of pregnancies per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 when the pregnancy ends is generally used. The recorded live births report, which is commissioned by statistics south africa, showed that a total of 3 261 girl children aged between 10 and 14 were registered as mothers in south africa last. Young women in our communities are falling pregnant while still at school, which limits. It calls for school management teams smts to acquire critical skills to manage teenage pregnancy within the requirements of the constitution of the republic of south africa, 1996 and the south. International literature is incorporated in the discussion by way of comparison. The department of basic education briefed the committee on teenage pregnancy in south africa, specifically focusing on schoolgoing learners.
The proportion of teenage girls who are mothers or who are currently pregnant in subsaharan african countries is staggering. From a historical point of view, teenage pregnancies are nothing new. Teenage pregnancies remain a serious health and social problem in south africa. Currently one in five pregnant teenagers is infected with the virus. Challenges, trends and policy issues article pdf available in mediterranean journal of social sciences 4. List of books and articles about teenage pregnancy. The level of unintended pregnancies among teenage girls in south africa sa has remained a public health concern. Not only does teenage pregnancy pose a health risk to both mother.
Given this, the current study controls for demographic factors. Nov 11, 2018 teenage pregnancy is a big problem in south africa. Africa has continued to grab headlines for all the wrong reasons as the continent has again scored the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world. Most teenage pregnancies and childbirths take place in west and central africa, east and southern africa, south asia, latin america, and the caribbeans. These included household poverty and cost of education i. Teenage pregnancy and parenting at school in contemporary south. For many adolescents, pregnancy and childbirth are neither planned, nor wanted. To assess the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy and associated factors in the south african context, as part of a populationbased household survey that formed part of an evaluation of the impact of lovelife, south africa s national hiv prevention campaign for young people. Increases in the rates of teen pregnancy are framed.
Factors associated with teenage pregnancy in south africa. This second edition of the book provides uptodate information on new drugs, new proven hiv prevention interventions, a new chapter on positive prevention, and current hiv epidemiology. The high pregnancy rate amongst teenagers in schools in the libode district that has been experienced over years, followed by a sudden and s. The community at large is aware of the problem of teenage pregnancy. Predicting secondary school dropout among south african. Adolescent pregnancy and associated factors in south african.
While teen pregnancy rates have declined over the past 10 years, 22 of high school students still get pregnant each year, according to a report on the website pregnant teen help 1. Financial needs can also result in teenage pregnancy. A study of the high rate of teenage pregnancy in high. Inasmuch as the sa schools act has put in place directives to ensure that schools are free from discrimination, postapartheid south africa has witnessed numerous incidents of discrimination and exclusion on the basis of race, religion, language, ethnicity, teenage pregnancy, as well as the inability to pay school fees. We would also like to thank the research participants who took part in the study.
Complications relating to pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for girls aged 1519 globally. Access to data is dependent on ethical requirements for protecting research participants, as well as on legal agreements with the owners, funders or. Different pieces of literature show that the prevalence of teenage pregnancy varies across regions of the world. Teenage pregnancy in south africa south african journal of child. The human sciences research council of the world bank estimated that 18 percent of all students in south africa either get pregnant or make someone pregnant each year. Part 1 of the series dealt with the consequences of teenage pregnancy. Adolescent pregnancy has been persistently high in subsaharan africa. Why are teenage pregnancies rising in south africa. Pregnant girls and adolescents also face other health risks and.
This kind of reproductive behavior was socially desired and considered as normal. It is my privilege to present the report of this study teenage pregnancy in south africa, with a speci. This work was generously supported by the ford foundations office for southern africa. The world health organisations latest fact sheet on adolescent pregnancy highlighted that the issue is.
The advent of democracy in south africa in 1994 was coincidentally accompanied by an avalanche of research on the nationwide risk factors of teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancies and teenage motherhood are a cause for concern worldwide. Teenage pregnancy is extremely common in south africa. Fewer teens having sex is one of the reasons behind what many see as one of the most positive youth trends in recent years. Babies born to younger mothers are also at greater risk. The advent of democracy in south africa in 1994 was coincidentally accompanied by an avalanche of research on the nationwide risk factors. Pregnant girls and adolescents also face other health risks and complications due to their immature bodies. Africa has the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world.