Namibia, as most countries on the African continent, is facing a high rate of teenage pregnancies. It is one of the biggest social issues challenging contemporary society, contributing to social problems such as illegal abortions, baby dumping and suicide attempts. The aim of this bachelor thesis is to focus on young women and their experiences of being pregnant teenagers and young mothers. During this research process young mothers have elaborated on their own life situation discussing ideas that could have helped them during the pregnancy. They also give ideas on what could be helpful for them today. The research also pays attention to the attitudes that the young mothers face in their communities. The town were this research was carried out, Rundu, is situated in the Kavango region, which has the far highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the country. This is a qualitative research and data was collected through daily observations, conversations and semi-structured interviews. In the understanding of my results, I have used gender theory, social exclusion, social construction, stigmatisation and an intersectional perspective. According to the results six of my seven respondents were struggling during pregnancy and still do today. They struggle/struggled mainly due to lack of resources and money as well as not having enough people helping them taking care of the baby. Most of the young women left school at an early stage of the pregnancy. This either because school policies would not let them proceed or because school uniforms and shoes were getting too small. Attitudes present and the discourse on pregnant teenagers among young and old people in Rundu prevented some of the pregnant girls from taking part of a social life. They got blamed for falling pregnant. Some of them were feeling very ashamed over their condition and started living more isolated lives, not going in to town anymore and thereby missing health controls at the hospital. / Namibia har, som de flesta afrikanska länderna, en hög grad av tonårsgraviditeter. Tonårsgraviditeter är ett av landets största sociala bekymmer, eftersom det leder till andra sociala problem så som illegala aborter, ”baby dumping” och självmordsförsök. Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats är att lägga fokus på de unga mödrarna och deras upplevelser av att vara gravida tonåringar och unga mammor. I uppsatsen får de unga mammorna möjlighet att resonera kring sina egna livssituationer och kring vad som hade kunnat hjälpa dem under tiden då de var gravida. De berättar också om vilken sorts stöd de behöver idag. Uppsatsen lägger vidare fokus på attityder som de unga mammorna möter i de olika sammanhang där de befinner sig. Staden Rundu, som är platsen där empirin har samlats in, är belägen i Kavangoregionen, som har den absolut högsta siffran tonårsgraviditeter i hela landet. Detta är en kvalitativ studie och empiri har samlats in genom dagliga observationer, samtal och semi-strukturerade intervjuer. I analysen av resultaten har teorier kring genus, social exklusion, social konstruktion, stigmatisering samt ett intersektionellt perspektiv använts. Resultaten visar att sex av de sju informanterna hade det svårt under sin graviditet och fortfarande har det svårt idag. De har det kämpigt främst på grund av att de saknar ekonomiska tillgångar och människor omkring dem som kan hjälpa dem att ta hand om barnet. De flesta av informanterna lämnade skolan vid ett tidigt stadium av graviditeten. Det berodde antingen på att policies på de olika skolorna inte lät dem fortsätta eftersom de var gravida eller för att deras skoluniformer och skor blev för små. Attityder mot tjejerna och diskursen kring tonårsgraviditeter i Rundu hindrade en del av informanterna från att ta del av ett socialt liv. De fick skulden för att ha blivit gravida och vissa av dem skämdes väldigt mycket över sin situation. Detta ledde till att de började leva mer isolerat och inte gärna vistades inne i centrum. Vissa av tjejerna missade därmed kontroller på mödravården.

This thesis is based on four articles. In the first article, questionnaire data from a follow-upstudy (Article I) that aimed to explore social support, coping and resilience as predictors ofmental health in unwed young pregnant women and young mothers during placement in ashelter home were analysed. Nine shelter homes were invited to participate in the study (n ofpre-assessment = 250; n of post-assessment = 79). Percentages, paired sample t-tests, multipleanalyses of variance (MANOVA), and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse thedata. There were no significant changes in social support, coping or resilience between thepre- and post-assessment. The variability in the mental health scores from the follow-upassessment could be explained by the variability in coping, social support and resilience forbetween 14% of the variance in the BDI score and 36% in the GHQ sum-score. However,about 32% of the unwed young pregnant women and young mothers had a BDI score above26 suggesting the occurrence of a depressive disorder at the second assessment. Thequalitative part of the study (Articles II and III) attempted to investigate the reactions receivedfrom their significant others, and how these reactions influenced their pregnancy experience.Furthermore, their daily life experience during their placement in a shelter home is described.Seventeen unwed young pregnant women and young mothers aged from 12 to 18 wereinterviewed. Qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis were used to analyse thetranscriptions of the interviews. Significant others were often perceived as reacting to theunwed young pregnant women and young mothers with secrecy, repression and rejection. Theresponse of the unwed young pregnant women and young mothers to the significant others inrespect of their pregnancy was to feel detached, trapped, unworthy and ambiguous. Theresults of the thematic analysis (Article III) led to three themes: rules and regulations, therelationship with the staff, and the relationship with the other girls in the shelter home. Theresults indicated that the participating shelter homes were often not fulfilling the standards ofshelter homes according to the Malaysian national laws and the United Nations Conventionon the Rights of the Child. In addition, a mixed methods approach (Article IV) was applied toinvestigate the associations between the experiences of the unwed young pregnant women andyoung mothers in the shelter home and their social support, coping, resilience, and mentalhealth. Because of the nominal data, the findings from the qualitative analyses were quantifiedand jointly analysed with the questionnaire data using Spearman Rank coefficient. The analyses were done based on the interviews and survey with 17 unwed young pregnantwomen and young mothers aged 12 to 18 years. The mixed methods study emphasized thatthe unwed young pregnant women and young mothers have poor availability and adequacy ofsocial support and were at risk of developing mental health problems if untreated.

The issue of adolescent health has steadily grown momentum with people realizing the vulnerability ofthis sector ofthe world's population. Within the South African context, the tide had also turned. However, most initiatives aimed at the prevention of problems, one of which was adolescent pregnancy. Extant literature revealed that despite efforts to reduce adolescent pregnancy, adolescent fertility rate in SubSaharan Africa remained on the rise. As such, the need for appropriate maternity services for this group became a concern, as extant literature also revealed the costly long term effects to pregnant and parenting adolescents, as well as society as a whole. Within KwaZulu-Natal pregnant and parenting adolescents use the same maternity services as their adult counterparts. It was not clear if these services were appropriate to the needs of these clients. As such, a Glaser Grounded Theory approach was used to explore the maternity services from the points of view of the various stakeholder groups. Data was collected, using theoretical sampling, by means of semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. Constructs of adolescent-friendly maternity care were identified from the findings. The components of the constructs included aspects of (1) Structures and Resources, (2) Attitudes to AMCs, and (3) Services. The resources or structures that either need to exist and/or be improved included policies, the quality and quantity of HCps, formalized support for AMCs, a sensitized administration, community involvement and the educational preparation of HCps. The attitudes that service providers were expected to demonstrate in their interaction with AMCs included those of equality, empathy and respect. They were also expected to show understanding towards AMCs and provide them with reassurance and support. The third component identified specific services to be provided to AMCs during the antenatal, labour and delivery, and postnatal period. These constructs can be used by health care planners and providers to strengthen and improve service provision to and utilization by pregnant and parenting adolescents and form the foundation on which a theory of adolescent-friendly maternity care can be based. Recommendations were made with regards to future service and research endeavours. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

The reported percentage of births attributable to school going learners has highlighted the concern for adolescents engaging in early and unsafe sexual practices. A review of literature suggests that early sexual initiation and the likelihood of experiencing teenage pregnancy can impede on adolescents' ability to acquire skills, attain high levels of education, and access socioeconomic opportunities. Relatively less attention has been paid to the reproductive patterns and sexual behaviour of adolescents within informal settlements. This research, conducted in Siyanda informal settlement on the outskirts of KwaMashu Township, is designed to explore the sexual patterns and reproductive behaviour of the adolescents there. The study examines differences in sexual behaviour and childbearing experiences among teen mothers, currently pregnant teens; and those that have never experienced pregnancy. The findings suggest that the majority of adolescents residing in informal settlements experiment with and engage in sexual intercourse at ages much earlier than 19. Most teenagers experienced their first sexual intercourse by the second year of high school education. Teen mothers reported higher incidence of multiple sexual partners. Across all adolescents interviewed, the preferred sexual partners were much older males because of level of maturity, financial status; and the ability to negotiate use of contraceptives. Part of the cause of high incidents of teenage pregnancy within this environment was the lack of consistent usage of contraceptives. Many adolescents perceived usage of contraceptives to be impractical prior to conception of first birth. The experience of childbearing was found to have detrimental implications on these young females‟ educational attainment. Many of these adolescent failed to resume school to complete their education due to the lack of emotional and financial support from their partners and family members. Many adolescents highlighted their discontent with the lack of youth integration with the lack of youth integration in community based programmes. Furthermore, communication barriers in nearby health facilities as well as transport restricted their accessibility to obtain counselling with regards to their sexual activities and reproductive patterns. Thus, it is recommended that service delivery should be improved, including providing more health facilities especially the range of methods through which health officials such as nurses, social workers and counsellors which can be made easily accessible to these adolescents on a regular basis. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

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.

An ethnographic method was used for data collection and analysis. Three interrelated themes from the data analyses informed study findings: (1) being cut off from family and feeling lonely, (2) what's the point? and (3) not depression, just depressed. Understanding young mothers' depression after the birth of their babies is important to inform future research and gain insights into relevant nursing interventions for this population. More knowledge of the phenomenon will lead to earlier identification and prevention of the long-term sequelae of depression and potentially promote healthier mother-baby interactions.

The study aimed to investigate the educationally-related challenges faced by teenage mothers in coming back to school in two senior schools in the Kavango Education Region. This small-scale study focused on the challenges that influence or affect the academic progress and development of these learners. The study looked at how teenage pregnancy is perceived as a social problem in many countries as well as in Namibia and examined its impact on the educational aspirations of the young mothers. Namibia has a policy in place to cater for the continued education of learners returning to school after the birth of their babies. This policy was analysed and its implementation in the selected schools formed part of the study, The findings revealed that the educational challenges faced by these young women range from social exclusion to the need to manage the dual responsibilities of motherhood and study. The way in which the learners who participated in this study are viewed by their peers and their teachers was found to be influenced by the cultural connotations ascribed to women as soon as they become mothers, a factor that adds to the challenges these learners face when returning to schools. Cultural connotations which perceived a mother as an adult in the society was attached to the change of the behaviours and attitudes of school young mothers. The findings also showed that while these learners tended to be withdrawn in class and were generally unable to participate in extra-mural activities, they none the less were able to compete with their peers in terms of their academic performance. The study revealed that there is no shared understanding of the policy among the participants and that it is not effectively implemented in the schools, nor is it uniformly applied.

This study was undertaken in order to determine how black teenage primigravidae in the Umlazi area of KwaZulu perceived their pregnancies. This was an exploratory study. An interview schedule was used to elicit information from the primigravida teenagers concerned. One hundred and sixteen primigravida teenagers were interviewed. The sampling frame stretched over 6 antenatal clinics at Umlazi. This study revealed that most primigravida teenagers stand in need of consideration from health professionals of the comprehensive health services. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Rationale: There is limited research available in South Africa that explores the breastfeeding experience among adolescent mothers; most of the studies were conducted in developed countries. One such study relating to the above mentioned developed countries stated that social and commitment factors influence the decision to breastfeed by adolescents. Furthermore, while adolescent mothers appreciate the benefits of breastfeeding, pain, public exposure and perceived complexities related to breastfeeding create barriers for them. The researcher was unable to ascertain if similar ambiguities exist among adolescent mothers in South Africa, and in the Eastern Cape (EC) in particular with its high rates of adolescent pregnancy. In order to attempt to develop age appropriate recommendations to assist adolescent mothers with their breastfeeding journey, the researcher undertook this research study to answer the following question: What are the breastfeeding experiences of adolescent mothers in the Nelson Mandela Bay Heath District (NMBHD)? Aim: The research aim was to determine the experiences of adolescent mothers regarding breastfeeding in NMBHD. Methods: The study implemented a qualitative research approach. To enhance the design, the researcher utilised an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The ethical principles that guided this study were autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice. Fourteen adolescent mothers, attending PHC facilities in the NMBHD participated in the study. Participants were chosen from a purposive sampling technique and data were collected from semi-structured interviews, compromising of individual interviews. The researcher analysed the data using the using the eight steps of the Tesch analysis technique. Data was also analysed by an independent coder. Results obtained from the Tesch approach were compared to that of the independent coder results. Thereafter, the major themes and sub-themes that related to the study objectives were identified. Results: Three themes and 10 sub-themes were identified. Lack of knowledge and poor adherence to EBF, perceived breastmilk insufficiency, as well as incorrect infant feeding advice given by maternal mothers and grandmothers were associated with early introduction of complementary feeding. Most participants were motivated to breastfeed due to its economic and bonding benefits, as well as seeing their infant‟s progress in growth. Challenges of breastfeeding mentioned by the participants include: lack of support from the fathers of their infants and from health care providers, breast milk leakage, and the foul smell associated with the leaking of breast milk. The participants of the study also had suggestions to help improve the support given to adolescent mothers by health care providers in PHC facilities. Conclusions and recommendations: In conclusion, this study‟s findings revealed that adolescent mothers may need extra age appropriate education and support to assist them in breastfeeding successfully at PHC facilities, the community and schools. Maternal mothers and grandmothers were found to be the primary source of a support network for most adolescent mothers as opposed to health care providers who were categorised as being the secondary source of support. Thus, breastfeeding promotion tailored at maternal mothers and grandmothers would be beneficial in improving their knowledge about the recommended infant feeding practices and consequently aid in providing appropriate support and advice to adolescent mothers. Additionally, training and attitude modification of health care providers is needed to provide adolescent mothers with age-appropriate, effective and sensitive care and counselling.

No description available.