The number of adolescents who become pregnant each year has, for the past two decades, been a topic of serious concern among international education and health professionals. The Department of Education established a new policy that allows adolescents to pursue their studies during pregnancy. This policy frustrated parents and educators because it interfered with social norms and values. It also puts pregnant adolescents’ lives at risk (Mwamwenda, 1996: 206). The pregnant adolescent finds herself in the midst of a multifaceted crisis situation which is characterised by the emotional and physical reality of pregnancy. She also faces the interruption of normal physiological development, a possible change in educational and career pursuit as well as parental kinship support, an increase in medical risks during pregnancy, and the premature assumption of the adult role with its associated responsibilities. The shock of an unwanted pregnancy can be emotionally traumatic for the adolescent. Some receive emotional support from their close family members, others do not. In the absence of emotional support, the pregnant adolescent may experience increased anxiety and frustration, while others may develop depression. Together with middle-aged childbearing women, adolescents are viewed as a high risk maternity population. Complications such as high blood pressure, toxaemia, anemia and cardiac and other physiological conditions may develop, endangering the life of the adolescent (Bodak & Jensen, 1984: 938) The researcher’s curiosity about adolescent pregnancy was raised when she studied the statistics of adolescent pregnancy between 2000 and 2003, at the local clinic in Duduza. She realised that more adolescents are becoming pregnant every year. She decided to conduct research about adolescent pregnancy. The intention was to explore and describe the experience of adolescents during pregnancy at Duduza Location and to determine guidelines for educators, parents and health workers to support adolescents during pregnancy. She also intended to make recommendations for parents, educators and health workers on how pregnant adolescents can be supported. This research was aimed at describing and exploring the experiences of adolescents during pregnancy. This research was qualitative in nature. The sample was taken from pregnant adolescents in a township. Data gathering methods used in this research were individual interviews and observations. The observation for this study was conducted by the researcher at the local clinic and individual homes. A total of ten interviews were conducted and all of them were transcribed and edited. The participants had to comment on their experiences during pregnancy. These ten interviews formed the basis of this study to facilitate the attainment of the primary objectives which were to explore and describe the experiences of adolescents during pregnancy. The data from these interviews were analysed by using an open coding method. An independent coder did an analysis independent from the researcher. A consensus validation discussion was held with the independent coder on the analyses of the data. The detailed discussion of results obtained from the interviews and observations were presented in verbatim quotes, descriptive and reflective notes and illustration of emergent themes and categories. Rigor and adequacy were ensured by the data collected and the results obtained from the data analysis indicated convergence and saturation. The measures of trustworthiness, that is, credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability, were applied throughout the study. Ethical considerations were addressed in the assent letters which were presented to the participants. Ethical considerations included the preserving of anonymity, confidentiality, and the ethical role of the researcher that had to be adhered to. The research results indicated that adolescent pregnancy has psychological effects on the adolescent and there is insufficient support from significant others when they find out that the adolescent girl is pregnant. The guidelines for parents, educators and health workers to support adolescents during pregnancy were formulated and recommendations discussed. / Prof. C.P.H. Myburgh

This study is an exploration of participants' experiences of being pregnant as young women. The study attempts to respond to the following set of questions: What are the issues that surround young women's pregnancy in general? How has history shaped the construction of womanhood, family, sexuality, motherhood and young women's pregnancy? What are the beliefs, perceptions and policies surrounding young women's pregnancy and that underlie responses to it and how might they (beliefs, perceptions and policies) be changed? How do issues of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS among young women interact with issues of pregnancy? What are the ways in which schools, students and pregnant young women handle the issue of pregnancy, the continuation of pregnancy while schooling, and the implications or impact on the women's career trajectories? What are the experiences of women who have been pregnant at young ages with regard to their education (including the implications for it)? The study utilized a feminist research methodology to interact with women who have been pregnant while schooling. In addition, the study employed feminist research to establish the way in which the Basotho construct young women's pregnancy and to decipher the basis for the way this is constructed. A survey questionnaire was used to generate baseline data on the current interactions of school and young women's pregnancy. The storied lives of pregnant women have been shared in the study in their Lesotho context, a small mountain Kingdom completely land locked by South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight previously pregnant women while some past pregnant women were accessed by the use of focus group interviews. Additional interviews were conducted with principals, parents, siblings, proprietors, and partners of past pregnant young women. The researcher’s autobiography as a previously pregnant young woman was also used. The data in the study was analyzed at different levels. The first level was a narrative analysis of the eight stories, including the autobiography, which have been presented as their stories. Data from the focus group interviews was analyzed by picking up themes from the interviews and presented by discussing the themes together with some of the direct words of the participants to reinforce the discussion. A cross sectional narrative analysis was done for principals, parents, siblings, proprietors and partners. A narrative analysis was also done for a separate principals ' survey. At the final stage the study brings together information that relates to the research questions. The analysis of the experiences of young woman's pregnancy has been illuminated by the interrogation of who constructs these experiences, what the constructions are and what they are based upon. Each story in the study is unique and not dependent on another however, it is interesting to note that the way young women's pregnancy interacts with the family, partner, school and religion has much to do with the social construction. The sudden altering of context of "good girl" to "bad girl" causes a sharp shift of the pregnant young woman's experiences, thus the fluid nature of social construction is observable. The negotiations that occur as individuals struggle to handle pregnancy are brought forward. The study has not gone without observations on the challenges faced. The study has also moved from the context based possibilities to the way forward. / Theses (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

My interest in teenage pregnancy began when I discovered pregnant girls in my class. Upon discussion with other educators in my school, I discovered that there were many pregnant girls in school. Thus began a journey in which I spent much time researching the topic. What I learnt along the way is that this is not a third world problem that affects certain race groups. It is a universal problem and if it is left to grow it will become the greatest social problem faced by the world. I believe that as educators we need to help curb the problem of teenage pregnancy. More importantly Secondary School educators need to become more aware of the debates surrounding teenage pregnancy for three reasons: (1) many of us may have pregnant or mothering teenagers in our classes and we need to understand where they are coming from and where they are heading towards, (2) we have the potential to help prevent teenage pregnancy by removing the cloak of ignorance that covers the issues surrounding sex and (3) teenage sexuality may be closely linked to the Aids pandemic that is moving like a veld fire across our country. We know that teenage pregnancy is not a new social problem. It has been around for centuries, but of late the severity of the problem has increased. It was this increase in teenage pregnancy that spurred me on to research why the youth of today, who have so much of sexual information made easily available to them, are still falling pregnant while at school. This study attempts to answer two critical questions. Firstly: "How do learners engage with factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy?" My study revealed that learners lack the knowledge or skills to avoid sex, they were ignorant of the different types of contraceptives, they were in denial that they could fall pregnant and they lacked the motivation to avoid early childbearing. Secondly, the critical question, "Why, in context of all the information present today on sex, do teenagers still fall pregnant?" Through the process of research it was found that teenagers engage in premarital sex because of the following reasons: peer pressure, they get caught up in the moment of passion and because they are bored and have nothing better to do. It is hoped that the analysis, findings and recommendations of this study will help curb the problem of teenage pregnancy. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

M.A. (Social Science) / Adolescent pregnancy and motherhood have been given considerable attention in the South African education system. Before 1994 pregnant adolescents were expelled from school (as the policy then stipulated) until they delivered their babies. With the adoption of new national legislation, current policies, the South African Schools Act no 84 of 1996 emphasise that equal education must be provided for all learners, thus abolishing the exclusion of pregnant learners from mainstream education. This study explored support provided to teenage mothers who return to school. The research approach of the research was qualitative in nature. The research design was exploratory and descriptive. The target population was teenage mothers who returned to either of the only two high schools situated in Reiger Park. The sampling strategy was non-probability sampling. The data collection methods were semi-structured interview schedules, observation and a tape recorder. The data were analysed by with the assistance of a qualitative context analysis. The findings suggested that participants experienced support from their families and community as a vital role in being a teenage mother, as they experienced being a teenage mother to be life changing. It was found that the families and community of the teenage mothers provide various kind of support to them to enable them to return to school. Although they had the support of their families and in some cases their boyfriends, the responsibilities of raising a child at such a young age placed heavy burdens on them. The general consensus from all the participants was that their children became the centre of their lives. Practice guidelines for social workers were established to improve the provision of support to teenage mothers who do not receive support from their families and community.

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / Background The use of contraceptives among sexually-active teenagers in South Africa is known to be very poor and is currently estimated to be at a rate of 25% (DoH 2002). Teenagers who have unprotected sex are at a high risk of reproductive Health problems, such as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS, and unsafe abortion, amongst others (DoH 2002). Contraceptive use progressively declined between 2002 and 2004 among girls under 18 years in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province as a whole (Health Statistical Bulletin, 2004). Aim The aim was to determine knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of pregnant teenagers with regard to usage of contraceptives at the Pietersburg Hospital, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Method of data collection and analysis A cross-sectional descriptive survey was used in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from pregnant clients aged 13-19 years of age. Data analysis was carried out by using the computer software called Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings revealed that lack of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of pregnant teenagers was a problem. Findings The findings of this study indicated that culture and attitude of nursing personnel were not the barriers. Barriers were “not having enough time to choose the method and just not being serious about contraception”. Thirty-six ix per cent (36%) of the participants said they had enough time to choose the method, but they did not choose. Sixty per cent (60%) said they were not serious about contraception, 40% said they were serious but did not use contraception. Married participants who did not hear about emergency contraception, the percentage was small, 6%, while the percentage of single women was higher (94%). Conclusion The study revealed that the participants had knowledge of contraceptives, both single and married; however, married women seemed to have negative attitudes towards contraceptives, based on the culture and the believe that, once married, the usage of contraception was not necessary. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that there should be effective ways of information giving to the public regarding family planning.

This study explores perceptions and attitudes of boys and girls towards schoolgirl pregnancy at 'Mampota high School in Lesotho. No policy exists in Lesotho concerning school girl pregnancy. While Lesotho espouses democratic rights to all, pregnant schoolgirls continue to be excluded from the school system. In this era this does not only discriminate but also impinges on one of the fundamental rights of girls, the right to education. Pregnant girls continue to drop out of school because of the negative perceptions and attitudes of teachers and other students even in countries where expulsion is outlawed. Although these attitudes reflect myths and stereotypes, they are not illusions. They remain powerful and are a major driving force behind pregnant girls dropouts. They reinforce the stereotypical construction of gender and work to marginalise and disempower young girls. These perceptions and attitudes sentence girls to a life of subservience and reduce their life chances both economically and socially. Focus group interviews and questionnaires were used examine the attitudes of boys and girls towards schoolgirl pregnancy at MHS. The findings suggest that both boys and girls construct gender in ways that discriminate against pregnant schoolgirls, but girls as more prejudiced than boys towards pregnant schoolgirls. A good sign emerging from the study is that not all boys and girls take this position and this points to the possibility of making the school a safer place for pregnant school girls. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science

This program evaluated the effectiveness of the program interventions implemented during the 2002-2003 school year in the Riverside County Office of Education's Cal-SAFE pregnant and parenting minor program. Two researchers divided the twelve school sites, gathered data and formulated information to assess the effectiveness of the program on continuance or completion of high school after teen pregnancy.

Department of Curriculum Studies and Education Management / DEd