Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An exploratory study of the extent and nature of adolescent pregnancy
resolution and pre-abortion counselling was undertaken. Little research has
been done on pre-abortion counselling in South Africa since the Choice of
Termination of Pregnancy Act (92 of 1996) was passed in February 1997. This
study emphasised pre-abortion counselling since this is a new field for most
counsellors.
A literature study was conducted on adolescent pregnancy, focussing on the
factors and possible consequences of the choice to carry the pregnancy to term
or to terminate it. Adolescents, more than adults, need assistance to make this
decision. Crisis intervention was explored as a possible counselling model for
pregnancy resolution and pre-abortion counselling.
The preliminary investigation included interviews with social workers and
nursing professionals in Mossel Bay. Nursing professionals were included in
the study since they administer the pregnancy tests and are therefore the first
professionals with whom the pregnant adolescent comes into contact. This
investigation revealed that nurses, not social workers, do most of the preabortion
counselling in Mossel Bay. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy
Act emphasises the importance of supplying pre and post-abortion counselling
at the facility providing the termination of pregnancy. The Act also envisages
this as primarily a medical concern, with the implication that nursing
professionals should do the counselling. The role of professional counsellors
such as social workers is not mentioned in the Act. The Act lays down that
training will be provided to equip nursing professionals with necessary skills to
render this service.
The empirical study examined the training and skills of nursing professionals
and social workers to determine whether they were adequately qualified to
render these services. The respondents' attitude towards pregnant adolescents who choose abortion was also investigated, since this would influence their
counselling skills.
The investigation revealed that many of the nurses did not seem confident in
their counselling although they felt that they were adequately qualified to
counsel pregnant adolescents. The nurses explained that they did not feel that
they had enough knowledge of the different options, especially foster care and
adoption and therefore referred patients to a social worker or Options
Pregnancy Centre (a volunteer based counselling centre).
The social workers felt confident in counselling adolescents who decided to
carry pregnancy to term. The counselling model used was crisis intervention,
which is most appropriate for pre-abortion counselling as well. However they
felt that they did not have enough information of abortion procedures and
emotional consequences of abortion to counsel a pregnant adolescent
requesting an abortion effectively.
The study showed that respondents felt empathy and understanding for the
adolescents' situation and the seriousness of the decision needing to be made.
The study also found that social workers and nurses were willing to attend
further training in order to improve their knowledge and their counselling skills.
The training should therefore not focus on attitudes but simply on improving
counselling skills. Training should focus on the nature of a crisis and the steps
of crisis intervention. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Studie is gedoen om die aard en omvang insake die besluitneming ten
opsigte van tienerswangerskappe en berading voor 'n aborsie te ondersoek.
Sedert die Wet op Beëindiging van Swangerskap (92 van 1996) in Februarie, is
weinig navorsing in Suid-Afrika gedoen oor berading voor 'n aborsie. Hierdie
studie beklemtoon voorafgaande berading aangaande aborsie, aangesien dit 'n
onbekende terrein vir baie beraders is.
'n Literatuurstudie oor tienerswangerskap is geloods met die fokus op faktore
en moontlike gevolge van die keuse om die volle termyn van die swangerskap
te voltooi of die beëindiging daarvan. Adolessente het meer ondersteuning
nodig as volwassenes om so 'n keuse uit te oefen. Krisis-ingryping is
ondersoek as 'n moontlike model vir die beslissing van 'n swangerskap en
berading wat 'n aborsie voorafgaan.
Met die voor-ondersoek is onderhoude met maatskaplike werkers en
verpleegkundiges in Mosselbaai gevoer. Verpleegkundiges was deel van die
studie aangesien hulle die eerste kundiges is met wie die swanger tiener in
aanraking kom, omdat hulle die swangerskaptoetse uitvoer. Dié navorsing toon
dat verpleegsters in Mosselbaai (nie maatskaplike werkers nie) grotendeels die
berading voor 'n aborsie hanteer. Die Wet benadruk hoe belangrik dit is om
beradingsdienste vir voor- en na-aborsie te voorsien by die plek waar die
aborsie toegepas word. Dié Wet beskou dit ook primêr as 'n mediese
aangeleentheid, gevolglik behoort verpleegkundiges die berading te doen. Daar
word egter nie melding gemaak van die rol van professionele beraders soos
maatskaplike werkers, in dié verband nie. Die Wet bepaal ook dat
verpleegkundiges opleiding sal ontvang om hulle met vaardighede toe te rus
om so 'n diens te lewer. Die opleiding en vaardighede van verpleegkundiges en maatskaplike werkers
is dus getoets aan die hand van studies, gegrond op praktiese ervaring, om te
bepaal of hulle bevoegd is om die dienste te lewer.
Daar is ook ondersoek ingestel na die respondente se houding teenoor die
swanger adolessent wat 'n aborsie verkies, aangesien hul vermoë om die
berading te hanteer, beïnvloed kan word.
Die ondersoek toon dat baie verpleegsters onseker voorgekom het tydens
berading, hoewel hulle gevoel het dat hulle bekwaam is om swanger
adolessente te adviseer. Hulle verklaar dat hulle nie genoeg kennis oor die
verskillende opsies, veral pleegsorg en aanneming, gehad het nie, en dus
pasiënte na 'n maatskaplike werker of Options Pregnancy Centre verwys het.
Maatskaplike werkers het berading aan swanger adolessente wat die termyn
van die swangerskap wou voltooi, met sekerheid hanteer. In die proses is
krisis-ingryping uitgeoefen wat dan ook gepas is vir berading voor 'n aborsie.
Die maatskaplike werkers het egter gevoel dat hulle nie genoeg inligting oor die
aborsieproses en die emosionele gevolge daarvan gehad het om die swanger
adolessent wat 'n aborsie verlang, effektief voor te lig nie.
Die studie het getoon dat respondente die adolessent se situasie en die erns
van die besluit wat gemaak moes word, met empatie en begrip hanteer het.
Met die studie is ook bevind dat maatskaplike werkers en verpleegsters bereid
was om verdere opleiding te ontvang en sodoende hul kennis en vaardighede
te verbeter. Die opleiding moet dus nie op houdings fokus nie, maar eerder die
ontwikkeling van vaardighede. Dit behoort te fokus op die aard van die krisis
en die stappe van krisis-intervensie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51567 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Evangelisti, Linda |
| Contributors | Kruger, S. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 115 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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