Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
7 February 2024 |09:00 CAT
4 min read

South Africa is grappling with a concerning surge in teenage pregnancies, bucking the global trend of declining adolescent birth rates. The South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) has sounded the alarm, highlighting the mental health implications for teenage mothers as it launches its Pregnancy Awareness Week campaign from February 6th to 10th.

Recent statistics reveal stark realities, with Christmas Day and New Year’s Day alone witnessing a significant number of births to teenage mothers, underscoring the urgent need for awareness and support.

Between April 2021 and March 2022, there were 90,000 pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 19. In the following financial year, more than 150,000 girls became pregnant.

Dr Bavi Vythilingum, a member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP), said all factors leading to teenage pregnancy need to be addressed. “Unfortunately, there is easy access to drugs and alcohol for young people, and teenagers engage in acts they might not otherwise engage in. There is not much societal pressure due to many communities adopting a culture of acceptance of teenage pregnancies. They have a lot of time on their hands due to a lack of recreational facilities available. On an individual level, young people may have very low self-esteem, and girls may feel that having a baby gives them something to love,” she said.

Various socioeconomic factors, like insufficient sex education, gender-based violence, and limited access to contraception, are contributors to the concerning rise in teenage pregnancies, according to Dr Jessica Stanbridge, a psychiatrist and active member of SASOP.

Dr Vythilingum suggests increasing the number of clinics and providing more nursing staff to serve young people better. “It’s not just about distributing condoms, but about creating a culture where contraception is a norm for engaging in sexual activity. However, it’s ideal for young people not to engage in sexual activity because they are mentally or physically unprepared. Nonetheless, since we cannot stop many of them, they should have access to a wide range of contraception options,” she said.

According to Dr Stanbridge, teenage pregnancy often signifies unplanned pregnancies, and the occurrence of pregnancies in very young adolescents aged 10-14 is indicative of statutory rape, together with the reported numbers, which fail to account for unregistered births, miscarriages, or instances of backstreet abortions, paints an even more distressing picture.

Dr. Stanbridge warns that early childbearing has serious effects on education, careers, and health for both mother and child, including mental well-being.

In South Africa, mental health symptoms during the postpartum period are experienced by one out of every three women, regardless of their age. Moreover, pregnant teenagers in Sub-Saharan Africa experience mental health conditions up to 30% higher than adult women, and these conditions may persist into adulthood.

Dr Vythilingum highlighted an interesting approach taken to prevent teenage pregnancies and alcohol and substance use in Iceland. “Teenagers had a curfew, they were required to participate in sports and attend afternoon clubs. Parents were held responsible if teenagers were found out beyond curfew time. This approach resulted in successfully reducing teen pregnancy rates and alcohol and substance use rates over the short to medium term. However, it’s not clear if this approach will work in the long term or in larger, more diverse communities. Nevertheless, it’s worth exploring further to change the mindset from ‘no, we cannot’ to ‘yes, we can’ prevent teenage pregnancies,” she said.

Dr Vythilingum mentioned that SASOP has been collaborating with SADAG to address teenage mental health from a psychological perspective. “They have been doing significant work in this area, as there is a strong correlation between teen self-esteem and teen pregnancy rates. By improving teen mental health, we can effectively reduce the number of teenage pregnancies,” she added.

Pregnancy Awareness Week aims to improve education about pregnancy, promoting healthy pregnancy and safe motherhood.

If you need help coping with depression or anxiety, whether it’s for yourself, a teenager, or a family member, speak to your GP. Alternatively, you can get in touch with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) by calling 0800 12 13 14 or texting 32312 to receive a call back from a counsellor.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Dr Bavi Vythilingum, a member of SASOP, here.