Concern over pregnant teens
There are an average of 30 cases of child pregnancies referred to Pietermaritzburg Lifeline and Rape Crisis (PLLRC) monthly with the youngest current case being only nine years old.
The surge in child pregnancies in South Africa, particularly in Kwazulu-natal, bucks the international trend that has seen a significant decrease.
PLLRC executive director, Sinikiwe Biyela, said around 30 cases of teen pregnancies (ages 15-19) are reported to it monthly, but the actual number may be much higher due to unreported cases. The statistics include pregnancies of teenage rape victims.
“We understand that the numbers are higher than this, but some go unreported. The stats for older teenagers (15-19) are much higher considering 145 deliveries on Christmas Day and 190 deliveries on New Year’s Day.
“Also, the teen pregnancy national stats between April 2022 to March 2023 were 150 000 countrywide,” said Biyela.
She said older men taking advantage of younger girls, peer pressure, nurses’ unfriendly attitude towards young people and the home environment where some parents promote dating “sugar daddies”, contributed to teenage pregnancy.
Biyela said parents were sometimes scared to talk to their children about sexual reproductive health and in some instances, parents were turning a blind eye for financial benefit.
“The bigger issue here is that these men are very old and are taking advantage of these girls. We recently had a case of a married man dating an 11-year-old girl.
“This is statutory rape but what is frustrating is that such cases are withdrawn from the courts on the basis that the two are in a relationship.
“One wonders why the age difference is not considered.
“Why do we have this law if the law enforcers are refusing to implement it? The Department of Justice needs to send a strong message to all these men who are taking advantage of young girls,” Biyela said.
The South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop) recently confirmed that despite a global decline in adolescent (15-19 years) birthrates, South Africa was witnessing a distressing surge in teenage pregnancies.
In its statement, Sasop emphasised the critical mental health impact on teenage mothers, shedding light on the multifaceted challenges faced by this vulnerable demographic.
The society said on Christmas Day 2023 alone, 145 of the 1 708 births were to teenage mothers in South Africa and New Year's Day recorded 190 teenage births, including two 14-year-olds from Kwazulu-natal and the Eastern Cape.
Sasop member and psychiatrist, Dr Jessica Stanbridge, attributed the rise in child pregnancies to socioeconomic difficulties, inadequate sex education, gender-based violence and limited access to contraception.
She said early childbearing affects livelihoods, education and health, including mental health impacting both mother and child.
“Many pregnant teenagers drop out of school, affecting their educational and employment opportunities and face social repercussions such as reduced status in their community, significant levels of stress, peer rejection, family violence and early marriage.
“The mental health toll on teenagers giving birth cannot be understated.
“Teenage pregnancies often come with a range of emotional and psychological challenges, impacting the mental wellbeing of young mothers,” said Stanbridge.