To reduce pregnancy rates, teenagers not only need openness but love to create the self-esteem that makes it easy for them to say ‘No’, writes Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
One of the most disturbing cases I have heard is of a 17-year-old who has had three abortions, says YWhen she visited the clinic for the third time to terminate a pregnancy, she was warned about the health implications, but she retorted that it was her right to abort the child.
She is one of the 94 000 girls a year under 20 who fall pregnant, making our country’s teenage pregnancy rate one of the highest in the developing world. This figure does not include those who have had formal or informal abortions.
During interactions with teenagers as part of the recording of Let’s Talk, a song and music video encouraging people to talk about teenage pregnancy, Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi and I have often been confronted with questions about the high incidence of teen pregnancy.
In the modern world, where sexuality is ever-present, yet consequences like sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies receive no mention, we should all be concerned – very concerned – about the prevalence of teen pregnancy.
Our nation longs for a simple explanation for rampant teen pregnancy. I would like to offer that the underlying causes of teen pregnancy are often far from simple.
The solutions, however, may be closer than we think.
While the factors associated with teenage pregnancy are myriad and complex, the suggested direct causal links include lack of sex education, peer pressure, pressure from older partners (sugar daddies), a delay in accessing contraceptive services, poor links with available support services, poor parental skills and contraceptive failure.
During my work with Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, my observation was that teens from poor families were more likely than teens from wealthier families to become unwed mothers.
The most fundamental reason for the high rates of school-age pregnancy is that far too many youngsters reach adolescence without hopes or plans for their future that are compelling enough to deter them from risking premature parenthood.
Research by the US Search Institute in Minneapolis shows there are about 40 positive experiences and qualities that adolescents need to help them grow up as competent, caring and responsible individuals. These “developmental assets” include a positive self-image, commitment to learning, and constructive use of time.
The more “assets” a youth has, the greater his or her resistance to risky behaviours and the greater the chance that the young person will demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviours.
Other factors contributing to teenage pregnancies are lack of judgment by the teenager, lack of education in the school, and lack of open communication with the parents.
Most important, it is the teens themselves who create the situation. No matter how caught up in the moment one is, a certain level of maturity should be exercised and is often lacking.
Many who work with teens believe that a teen who feels good about herself and her future has good reasons to avoid early sexual activity and a potential pregnancy.
A teen who feels secure and confident may be less likely to succumb to pressure from her boyfriend to keep him.
If she feels good about herself, she may realise she does not need to hold on to a boyfriend who does not respect her wishes.
In many townships, girls knowingly become pregnant because they feel no one cares about them. For these teens, a baby provides an opportunity to love and be loved. Emotionally or physically absent parents, or negligent or abusive parents, cause serious pain to an adolescent.
But a caring adult – a teacher, a neighbour, a pastor, an adult friend – can make a huge difference in helping a teen become a self-directed, happy and productive adult.
We also see teens with huge blocks of unsupervised time in the after-school hours – the time when most teen pregnancies occur. The high cost of living may demand that both parents work. But our municipal and provincial agencies could do more to increase funding to ensure that schools and community organisations are open for enhanced tutoring and supervised recreation.
Peer pressure, to which most adolescent girls have a limited capacity to respond, also has a notable impact, as does the consumption of alcohol, marijuana and other substances that are readily available. Perhaps we need to help young people find improved means to defend themselves against these challenges.
Oh, yes, some teenagers have a poor perception of risk and are ill-equipped to evaluate consequences.
Teenage pregnancies have been linked to adolescent behavioural traits like reckless experimentation and risky living.
Adolescent males regard risky behaviour and having sexual experiences with multiple partners as “being tough”.
Young people are more likely to indulge in risky sex when under the influence of alcohol.
Studies have linked binge drinking with young women having multiple partners.
We all know that a positive relationship with an adult – any adult – can turn around the life of a teen who would otherwise engage in risky behaviours. It’s time that we all took more time to show kids that we care.
What are some of the solutions to teen pregnancy?
I think teenage pregnancy and the increasing incidence of sexually transmitted disease can cause major destruction to lives otherwise filled with potential.
But we must take a practical approach to sex education, which means exposing students to all options and allowing them to decide what is right for themselves and their bodies.
We adults need to take a closer look at how our young people spend their time. We need to become more nurturing. And we must take a more supportive role in helping all adolescents make positive choices as they move toward adulthood. It’s not just about their future.
Love and respect between parents, communication, and understanding children’s problems and needs are some of the realistic and honest ways to prevent adolescent pregnancies. Parents must take full responsibility for sexual information. Involvement, self-sacrifice, enjoyment of family life are some of the answers that will win the war against teenage pregnancy.
Then there is the good old-fashioned abstinence. Taught in the context of self-discipline and responsibility, it remains the best policy. But it’s just one piece of the solution puzzle.
In countries that have low teenage pregnancy rates, such as the Netherlands, there is a culture of openness and communication in families.
Reducing teenage pregnancy rates is a complex problem with many facets. Isolated strategies are less likely to yield satisfactory results. Parents, schools, health workers and the government must all address their individual responsibilities with regard to teen health.
Since girls by themselves don’t fall pregnant, males can prevent or greatly reduce the chances of a pregnancy. If a male doesn’t want a girl to fall pregnant, he has options. He can abstain from sex (100 percent guarantee) or he can use a condom (estimated to be 90 to 98 percent effective if used correctly and consistently). Condoms also greatly reduce the transmission of diseases.
The bottom line is: Teen pregnancy – and its prevention – are the responsibility of the boy and the girl.
* Yvonne Chaka Chaka is a Unicef goodwill ambassador. She and the Ministry of Health are involved in Let’s Talk and the RMCH (Reducing Maternal and Child Mortality through Strengthening Primary Health Care) campaigns that encourage people to talk about teen pregnancy.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Sunday Independent