Increased rates of teenage pregnancies were recorded in parts of the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Statistics South Africa recorded 34 587 teenagers who gave birth in 2020. Of the 34 587 births from teen mothers, 16 042 were aged 17, while 688 were 9 and 10 years young, thus more than 600 girls aged 9 and 10 gave birth in South Africa in 2020.
One major factor that has contributed to this is violence against women and girls. In South Africa one in three women experience gender based-violence and one in five children under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse.
As part of Childhood Protection Week, which took place from 30 May to 4 June, the emphasis was also put on teenage pregnancies as it is a global problem. An estimated 21 million girls aged 15 to 19 years in developing countries become pregnant, and about 12 million of them give birth every year.
Such pregnancies not only have adverse health risks for adolescent mothers and their babies. These teenagers who become pregnant often drop out of school, limiting their future economic opportunities and perpetuating a cycle of poverty.
According to the SAVF, a nationally registered welfare organisation, unintended pregnancy among adolescents requires holistic approaches that build the young women’s self-esteem, help them make decisions about their lives, and offers them real opportunities so that motherhood is not seen as their only destiny.
Deficiencies in the health system also contribute to teenage pregnancies as it is not always easy for adolescents to get contraceptives if services aren’t youth-friendly.
Another key factor contributing to the sexual and reproductive health risks that adolescents face in South Africa is lack of access to comprehensive sexuality education, as well as access to affordable and appropriate health services.
