Teen pregnancy statistic shocker
WHY? 30% OF TEENAGER GIRLS IN SA ARE CARRYING BABIES
What is the reason they are having unprotected sex?
SciELO, a scientific database, recently published an article detailing the current rates of unintended teenage pregnancies and the absence of the young boys that impregnated these girls.
The statistics were shocking. A total of 30% of teenage girls in South Africa are falling pregnant.
These statistics look at young girls between the ages of 15 to 19 years old.
The three provinces with the highest rates were KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and the Eastern Cape.
So why are young girls falling pregnant? Because they are having unprotected sex.
The question should be: Why are teenage girls engaging in unprotected sex? Are they uneducated about how to navigate their sexual relationships?
The country has run countless programmes aimed at educating young girls about sex and sexuality.
These programmes, which have been ongoing since the ’90s, implemented policies that would allow girls to complete their education even if they were pregnant.
Even the African Agenda 2030 has the objective of creating awareness campaigns around teenage pregnancy, reproductive health, and sexuality.
I remember being educated about sex and sexuality in my youth through a LoveLife campaign. They would go around schools teaching both girls and boys about abstinence, the use of condoms and protecting oneself from sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies.
I also remember that a couple of girls at my school fell pregnant.
This baffled me because at that age I had zero interest in having sex, let alone without a condom.
A show played on local TV a couple of years back called 16 and
Pregnant.
The show followed three 16-year-old girls who were pregnant, covering their stories. They had different backgrounds, but all had one thing in common: the baby’s dad was an older man.
Teenage girls are getting involved with older men who are already sexually active. T hey, therefore, possibly feel pressure to engage in sex with them and are maybe too scared to ask them to use a condom. Drunkenness is also a factor in teenage pregnancies. A number of boys and girls were caught having sex at my matric farewell. Did they intend to have unprotected sex? Were they even considering the consequences of their actions in the heat of the moment? Contraception is readily available for girls, but they are sometimes ashamed to go to their local clinics to choose an option that would serve them. Public clinics have a way of making girls feel terrible about deciding to prevent pregnancies. Research also indicates that some girls use contraceptives, but it fails to protect them. Contraceptives are not always foolproof. I have experienced it myself. You are asked for your age and reprimanded for getting contraception based on your age. “Why in the world are you having sex?” They ask this question as if it would stop you.
Michelle Solomon of Africa Check ran a study that busted the myth that rural teenage girls were falling pregnant in the hope of receiving a grant.
It is also false that girls are falling pregnant because they are bored in the December holidays.
Another big contributing factor is that parents are not talking to their children about sex and having healthy sexual relationships.
Parents are leaving it up to teachers to have “the talk” with their children.
Are children being taught about safe sex at school?
I wasn’t. It was too embarrassing and there were too many disruptions by class clowns. Some parents allow pornography and other people to define what a healthy sexual relationship looks like, which is unhealthy.
Open and honest communication is very important on the subjects of sex, protection, contraception and consent. This can’t still be a taboo discussion with teenage girls in 2019 when so many feel ready to have sex.
Regardless of how strict and involved parents are, children will make decisions that suit them. So parents should constantly communicate honestly with children.
We cannot persecute them for having sex if they feel ready. They just need to know how to protect themselves when they do. They need to be confident enough to ensure their partner uses a condom.
And they need to know what their contraception options are.