Teenage pregnancies continue to dog Quthing

LINEO MABEKEBEKE

QUTHING – The education of many adolescent girls in Quthing is frequently disrupted by early pregnancies, with many of them discontinuing their schooling after giving birth.

This issue exacerbates existing challenges of poverty and unemployment, contributing to high dropout rates as adolescent mothers find it difficult to return to school.

The pregnancies stem from a variety of factors, including inconsistent use of contraceptives and lack of parental involvement and guidance regarding sexual and reproductive health.

Lindiwe Lebelo (name changed for safety and privacy), a 16-year-old first-time mother from rural Ha Koali, shares her story of how she became pregnant.

Lindiwe was in a relationship with a village boy two years her senior. Since she lived alone while her parents worked in South Africa, she and her boyfriend would often visit each other freely.

Despite not planning to fall pregnant, she attributes her situation to lack of information on the correct use of condoms.

“Before I got pregnant, I did not know about other contraceptive methods, except for condoms. This time around, the condom was there like always, but I don’t know what really happened,” she explains.

Despite the unexpected pregnancy, Lindiwe’s parents continued to support her financially. Now in her ninth month of pregnancy, she is determined not to marry young but to continue with her education, instead. She and her boyfriend have agreed that they are still too young for marriage.

“When I first discovered that I was pregnant, I was disappointed because I thought my parents would not let me go back to school,” she says.

Fortunately, her parents promised that she could return to school after giving birth, with her grandmother called in to assist her during her delivery.

Lindiwe is eager to continue her studies and fulfil her dream of becoming a nurse. However, she is uncertain about who will take care of her child when she returns to school. Community leaders, health workers, and educators in rural Quthing confirm that teenage pregnancies are a common issue.

Chief Seoehla Koali of Ha Koali says it has become the norm for young girls to bear children at a young age, often leaving them in the care of their grandparents.

He cites the example of an 80-year-old woman in his village who cares for 15 grandchildren, as her four daughters left for South Africa in search of work.

Koali says many young girls in his village drop out of school due to unintended pregnancies. Some of these girls end up engaging in sex work, driven by poverty, in exchange for material goods like beer and meat.

To combat these ills, he says they work with partners to fight early and unintended pregnancies, emphasising the need for parents to take full responsibility for their children.

He also suggests that the mobile clinic in the village could offer and educate young people about different family planning methods.

A teacher from Mopeli School in Mphaki, Quthing, reported seeing an increasing number of young girls falling pregnant. Many of these girls live with their grandparents as their parents have abandoned them.

In 2023 alone, the school saw two cases of teenage pregnancies and a third child was prevented from falling pregnant through the use of family planning methods.

Despite efforts by the Ministry of Health and educational institutions, there remains a need to strengthen Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and parental involvement.

The teacher said the CSE is crucial for preventing teenage pregnancies and should be taught not only in schools but also at home and in community gatherings.

The issue of teenage pregnancy is a significant concern for local health facilities. Keneuoe Thinyane, a sexual and reproductive health mentor at Quthing District Hospital, notes that pregnant teenagers often delay attending antenatal care (ANC), only seeking medical attention in the later stages of their pregnancies. This delay can lead to complications that could have been avoided with earlier care.

Thinyane highlights the need for village health workers to educate the community about the importance of early ANC attendance. She also points out the absence of adolescent-friendly health corners in the district, which could provide a safe space for young people to access health services.

Efforts to address teenage pregnancies are ongoing, with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Field trips are conducted to Quthing and Thaba-Tseka, supported by UNFPA, aimed to investigate issues such as early and unintended pregnancies, child marriage, and menstrual poverty.

UNFPA emphasises the need to prioritise the prevention of unintended pregnancies by empowering women and girls to make informed decisions about their sexuality and motherhood.

They show that early pregnancy can drastically alter a girl’s life, often ending her education and making her more vulnerable to poverty and exclusion.

Adolescent pregnancy is usually not a deliberate choice but rather a consequence of limited access to education, information, and healthcare. UNFPA is working to address these issues by supporting comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health care to help girls avoid pregnancy.

Addressing early and unintended pregnancies, along with child marriages, is crucial for reducing school dropout rates among girls.