Do you have a daughter who is a pre-teen or teenager?
How do headlines about teenage pregnancy in SouthAfricamake you feel?
Teenage pregnancy in South Africa is a growing health, social and economic problem.
Image: facebook.com, @AwareTeenagePregnancySource: Facebook
Early pregnancy adversely affects the future of the mother as she is most likely to drop out of school.
What is teenage pregnancy?
So, exactly what is teenage pregnancy?
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It refers to pregnancy happening to a woman who is below 20 years or less than 19.
Commonly, this happens among young and disadvantaged girls who have poor expectations in life concerningeducationor job openings.
“What’s up with our education system?
Image: facebook.com, @AwareTeenagePregnancySource: Facebook
Many teen mothers are under the misconception that having multiple inter-generational partners helps them economically.
This is not necessarily true but it also predisposes them to additional social and health risks.
Another factor listed as a contributing factor to this problem in South Africa is the sugar daddy phenomenon.
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Effects of teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy statistics in South Africa paint a worrying trend.
What happens when a teenage girl falls pregnant?
Teenage mothers have higher odds of experiencing adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Besides, children born to teen mothers are more susceptible to sickness and premature death.
Teen mothers are also likely to suffer economically as their life chances become limited, further exacerbating poverty.
This makes it imperative that steps or strategies are put in place on how to prevent teenage pregnancy.
Image: facebook.com, @AwareTeenagePregnancySource: UGC
Most of these pregnancies are not planned.
The affected teenager might not have matured emotionally to handle the pregnancy or motherhood.
Teenage pregnancy in South African schools is also posing a serious leadership and management challenge.
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The boys must also play their due role.
That will bring together key partners.
She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi and joined Briefly.co.za in November 2019.
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The writer completed a Google News Initiate Course.
you could email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.
Image: facebook.com, @AwareTeenagePregnancySource: Facebook
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