Empowering teenagers to prevent pregnancy: lessons from South Africa

Abstract

Reducing rates of teenage pregnancy is an important part of the agenda of action for meeting most of the Millenium Development Goals. South Africa has important lessons for other countries in this regard as the rate of teenage pregnancy is high but has declined very substantially over the last twenty years. The country experiences waves of moral panic about teenage pregnancy, with assertions that current problems are rooted in accepting or even encouraging the sexual appetites of young people rather than sternly disciplining them. In this paper, we argue that the key to success in teenage pregnancy reduction has been an empowering social policy agenda that has sought to work with young people, making them aware of their rights and the risks of sexual intercourse. Furthermore, family responses and education policy have greatly reduced the potential negative impact of teenage pregnancy on the lives of teenage girls. There is tremendous scope for further progress in reducing teenage pregnancy and we argue that this lies in paying more attention to issues of gender and sexuality, including the terms and conditions under which teenagers have sex. There needs to be critical reflection and engagement with men and boys on issues of masculinity, including their role in child rearing, as well as examination within families of their engagement with supporting pregnancy prevention and responses to pregnancies.

Factors Associated with Teen Pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: A Multi-Country Cross-Sectional Study

“…These vast disparities in birth rates among teenagers across the sub-continent indicate that factors beyond the individual level may possibly influence teenage pregnancy. Previous studies on teenage pregnancy by Mkhwanazi (2010), Jewkes et al (2009) and Panday et al (2009) have recommended the need to study the social factors leading to teenage pregnancy due to cultural views, the dynamics of families and communities as well as existing racial differences [33][34][35] . Research by Mkhwanazi (2011) as well as Chohan and Langa (2011) further states that previous studies overlook the social predictors of teenage pregnancy and this inconsideration of the socio-political and structural factors has led to its continued persistence 36,37 .…”

HIV risk perception and consistency in condom use among adolescents and young adults in urban Cape Town, South Africa: a cumulative risk analysis

“…Further, teenage pregnancy disrupts learning opportunities, denying young women of crucial training required for future productivity and may delay achieving a demographic dividend of a country. 7 Sexual risky behaviours of unprotected sexual activity may increase the risk of unwanted pregnancy, HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people. [8][9][10][11] The impact of HIV and AIDS, and underage pregnancy on aspects of population in a country are profound.…”

Psychological Well-Being and Sexual Behaviour of South African Teenage Mothers: An Overview

“…Risk sexual behaviour includes being sexually active, having multiple sexual partners, practicing unsafe sex, sex while drunk, usage of drugs, sexual promiscuity and sexual or partner violence (Dunkle, Jewkes, Nduna, Levin, Jama, Khuzwayo, Koss & Duvvury, 2006;Richter, Komárek, Desmond, Celentano, Morin, Sweat & Coates, 2013). Due to stress, to cover their emotional inadequacy, they develop a tendency to drink alcohol, sleep with multiple sexual partners and feel the need to prove that they are able to have children before marriage as a way of attaining adult status (Gustafsson & Worku, 2002;Jewkes et al, 2009) which impairs their psychological wellbeing. This calls for teenage mothers to be aware of who they are so that they can understand their goals and their significance in life but in most cases their lack of proper education and appropriate life skills forbids them to live their expected life (Compton & Hoffman, 2013).…”