A study investigating the contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices of coloured unmarried pregnant teenagers.

Text has abstracts in English and Tshivenḓa / The purpose of this study was to investigate how language used in the past was lost with regard to pregnant women, as well as the rituals meant to be followed when a woman is pregnant until child-birth. This study compared the language use of modern times and of the past with regard to taboos during pregnancy and birth. The components that the researcher investigated embrace how a pregnant woman should handle herself, taboos that must be followed by pregnant women and the infants, fortification and procedures which follow when the ceremony of the baby is done and language development from pregnancy and child birth. In this study, the researcher applied the Critical Language Awareness (CLA), Ethnography of Communication and Ethnopragmatics models to best explain the Vhavenḓa cultural practices and discourse in relation to child-aligned language with regards to pregnancy, child-birth and anything associated with a newborn child. Regarding research design, the researcher chose qualitative-ethnography research design because it is more exploratory as it deals with human beings and the environment in which they live. A qualitative research method was utilised in this study. The population was Vhavenḓa elderly women who are knowledgeable about taboos pertaining to pregnancy and childbirth. In this study, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were appropriate since the researcher used her judgement to and snowball sampling were used to sample information from people who have knowledge of the Tshivenḓa language and culture to establish if there is a difference between the language used today and that used in the past. On the subject of data collection tools, the researcher collected qualitative primary data with the aid of interviews and interviews from the social groups including youth, elders, nurses and doctors from various natural research settings in the Vhembe District. Ultimately, the researcher identified various themes and concepts which emanated from the data collection process in line with analytical comparison methods, namely, method of agreement and method of difference. From the research, it was discovered that the Tshivenḓa culture is being undermined and the Western culture is being preferred in modern times. These changes came about when Western and Christian ways of doing things were v followed and African customs were abandoned. Furthermore, this research uncovered that the Tshivenḓa language is being lost while looking at the period from pregnancy until the birth of a child into the world. Most importantly, this research brought forth the knowledge of language used in pregnancy that has been lost; including medicines that are no longer used for purposes of curing during pregnancy, child-birth and the raising of a newborn. / Ngudo ino yo ḓitika kha u sengulusa uri luambo zwe lwa vha lu tshi shumiswa zwone kale lwo ngalangala zwo livhiswa kha muimana u swika a tshi vhofholowa. Musi i tshi ya phanḓa, ṱhoḓisiso iyi i sedza luambo lwa zwiilaila uri ndi luambo lune lu kha ḓivha lune lwa dzhielwa nṱha na musi ho sedzwa ho sedzwa vhuimana na mbebo. Zwine muṱoḓisisi a khou ṱoḓulusa zwone zwi katela zwi tevhelaho: muimana u ḓifarisa hani, zwiilaila zwine zwa tea u tevhedzwa nga muimana na lutshetshe, muthuso na nḓila ine ya tevhelwa musi hu tshi khou itwa vhuṱambo na u sedza luambo lwa muimana lune lwa shumiswa u swikela kha lutshetshe. Kha ṱhoḓisiso iyi muṱoḓisisi o shumisa mutheo wa thyiori dzi tevhelaho: Critical Language Awareness, Ethnography of Communication na Ethnopragmatics u ṱalusa kushumisele kwa mvelele ya Vhavenḓa na luambo malugana na luambo lwa zwilaila, lutshetshe na zwiṅwe zwine zwa elana na u vhofholowa. U ya nga ha tshivhumbeo tsha ṱhoḓisiso na nḓila ya u ṱhoḓisisa muṱoḓisisi o nanga u shumisa ngona ya khwaḽithithethivi nga uri o vha a tshi khou sedzesa kha vhathu na hune vha vha vhe hone. Zwiṱoḓuluswa zwa ṱhoḓisiso iyi ndi vhathu vhahulwane vha Vhavenḓa vhane vha vha na ndivho ya vhuilaila malugana vhuimana na, u vhofholowa. Kha ngudo iyi purposive na snowball sampling techniques hune yo tea u bva muṱoḓisisi o shumisa ndila yawe ya u nanguludza sambula a dovha hafhu a shumisa u vhudzisa muvhudziswa ngae u wana munwe. Kha ndivho ya zwishumiswa zwa u kuvhanganya mafhungo, muṱoḓisisi o kuvhanganya mafhungo o shumisa khwalithithethivi kha tshi khou thusiwa nga ithaviiyu na ithaviuyu u bva kha zwigwada zwo fhambanaho sa vhaswa, vhaluwa, manese na madokotela u bva fhethu ho fhambanaho vhuponi ha ḽiisela ḽa Vhembe. Muṱoḓisisi o topola ndivho na mihumbulo ine ya bva kha mafhungo e a kuvhanganywa ho shumiswa maitele a Analytical Comparison Method ine ya shumisa: Method of agreement na Method of difference.. U bva kha ṱhoḓisiso ho wanala uri mvelele ya Tshivenḓa i khou dzhielwa fhasi, ha dzhielwa ntha mvelele ya vhukovhela . Tshanduko iyi ndi ine yo ḓiswa nga nḓila ine Vhukovhela na vhutendi ha Tshikrisite zwa tshimbidzwa ngayo musi vha tshi tevhedzela maitele a Tshirema. U inga kha izwo, ṱhoḓisiso iyi yo bula uri luambo lwa Tshivenḓa lwo ngalangala musi ro sedza kha muimana u swikela a tshi vhofholowa.Tsha vhuṱhogwa, ṱhoḓisiso iyi yo ḓisa nḓivho ya luambo lune lwa shumiswa kha vhuimana uri lwo ngalangala zwo katela na miuluso ine ya shumiswa kha vhuimani, ṅwana a tshi bebiwa na u alusa lutshetshe. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Languages, Linguistics and Literature)

The focus of the study was an evaluation of a pregnancy prevention program. The study was designed to look at the adolescent pregnant and parenting population in the Adolescent Family Life Program, which serves about 300 clients in Southern California.

Text in English / Teenage pregnancy remains a major social, economic and health challenge in South Africa. The consequences of unplanned teenage pregnancies are devastating. The current study explored the impact of teenage pregnancy on disadvantaged adolescents in Mpumalanga. Fourteen adolescent girls were selected, using the purposive sampling technique. The objectives were to explore the experiences of adolescence, as well as their knowledge of various methods of preventing teenage pregnancy, and how they cope with the pregnancy. The study further explored programmes that are available to assist with teenage pregnancies in the community. Data was collected using in-depth one on one interviews to allow the researcher a platform to ask open-response questions. The data was thematically analysed by carefully categorising and expanding significant themes that emerged from the participant’s responses. The study revealed that lack of knowledge about sex and contraceptives, unhealthy coping strategies, lack of support from parents and peer pressure are all effects of teenage pregnancy and the reasons for participating in unprotected sexual activities. Recommendations for overcoming these challenges were provided to the community, schools and government organisations as guidelines in the establishment of youth programmes. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Adolescents have become focal points of discussions and debates regarding sexuality and reproductive health matters. However, little research has been done particularly in South Africa to examine their knowledge concerning abortion and emergency contraception. Research indicates that a substantial proportion of adolescent pregnancies are unintended or unwanted. Abortion and emergency contraception are both time-sensitive services. Thus having accurate and comprehensive knowledge about both abortion and emergency contraception is pivotal, in the case of unintended or unwanted pregnancy or when engaging in unprotected sex or experiencing contraceptive failure that could lead to pregnancy. The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) defined reproductive health rights for both men and women as the right to "decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so" (p. 60). That is, men and women should "have the right to make decisions concerning their reproduction free of discrimination, violence and coercion" (ICPD, 1994, p.60). Based on these definitions, it is rather evident that comprehensive and accurate knowledge are at the core of one's ability to make an informed consent. This is confirmed by Adler's (1992, p. 289) definition of informed consent or choice "a) access to sufficient information b) understanding the information c) competence to evaluate potential consequences d) freedom to make a choice and e) the ability to make and express that choice". It is from this framework that this study emerged. The aim of this study was to examine adolescents' knowledge concerning abortion and emergency contraception. The participants were Grade 11 learners between the ages of 15-24 years from five different schools in the Buffalo City Municipality. A sample of 514 was achieved. Data were analysed using descriptive cross-tabulation, chi-square and qualitative methods where appropriate. The results revealed that most of the participants did not have sufficient accurate knowledge concerning the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, consequences of legal abortion and emergency contraceptive pills to make informed decisions. Furthermore, data also revealed that the participants' schools playa role in their sexual activity, their knowledge about the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act and about emergency contraceptive pills. Although this method made it feasible for the researcher to make general assumptions, non-responses were one of the limitations of the study. Similar research in various municipalities/cities in and outside the Eastern Cape is recommended so as to increase further awareness concerning the level of knowledge that adolescents have about contraceptive pills particularly emergency contraceptive pills, the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act and abortion in general.

The prevalence of and increase in unplanned pregnancies (UPs) and the termination of pregnancy (TOP) amongst tertiary students (TSs) have been found to have a detrimental impact on students, their significant others, and tertiary institutions. UPs amongst TSs have been mentioned as one of the factors contributing to the problem of high dropout rates, which calls for an investigation of this phenomenon and strategies to address it. Despite the need for support to TSs who find themselves in the predicament of an UP and/or TOP, a lacuna has been found with specific reference to practice guidelines from the ambit of social work to assist service providers (SPs) in the provision of psychosocial support services to the said students. To explore and describe the experiences, support, and support needs of TSs presenting with UPs and/or TOPs from the perspectives of these students and the SPs rendering services to them, as well as to gather suggestions from them to inform practice guidelines for psychosocial support, the qualitative research approach, designs, and methods of data collection were used to collect data from six TS- and 23 SP-participants that were purposively recruited. Presenting the findings against the backdrop of Schlossberg’s Transition Process Model (Schlossberg, 2011 & 1981), adopted as theoretical framework for the study, the following emerged: Experiencing an UP and/or TOP is a traumatic crisis event for TSs, which rings in a transition resulting in imminent and fundamental changes in their academic and social life, relationships, outlook on life, and self-image, as well as a smorgasbord of feelings and emotional reactions such as shock, denial, guilt, shame, loneliness, depression and anger following this event. The UP-crisis is arrested by deciding how to manage it (either through parenting, foster care, adoption, or TOP). This decision-making process is perceived as difficult with the formal and/or informal convoy of support, or lack thereof, having a decisive influence on the outcome of how the UP is managed. Apart from TS-participants’ appraisal of the support that they received in dealing with this life event, they articulated several support needs and suggestions for themselves and other TSs alike. The SPparticipants also offered several suggestions on how psychosocial support to a TS confronted with this phenomenon should be provided. The suggestions from both participant groups informed the practice guidelines to assist SPs in providing psychosocial support to TSs presenting with an UP and/or TOP. These guidelines focus specifically on how to establish a helping relationship with a TS presenting with the concern of an UP and/or a TOP, and how to assess and intervene in the situation, the self, the support, and the (coping) strategies surrounding the TS’s UP and/or TOP. In addition, recommendations for university policies on student pregnancies, social work practice, and further research were made. / Social Work / D. Phil. (Social Work)