Teenage Pregnancy Speech: Teenage Pregnancy in South Africa

This teenage pregnancy speech is for the students in South Africa that has to present a speech on the issue of teenagers getting pregnant. A brief introduction of the issue of teenage pregnancy is provided initially and the situation in South Africa is evaluated followed by an analysis of the causes of teenage pregnancy, its impact and preventive measures and initiatives undertaken to deal with it. This teenage pregnancy speech and essay comprises introduction, body and conclusion whereby the introduction provides a brief background details about the issue and body covers the main analysis about the issue. Finally, the conclusion part includes a brief summary of the findings from analysis.

Introduction

Teenage pregnancy is defined by the World Health Organisation as getting pregnant under the age of 18. Women get pregnant with sexual intercourse and the situation is critical with teenagers because they are not adequately developed to sustain a healthy pregnancy. An analysis of the situation of teenage pregnancy worldwide indicates that the situation has been alarming especially in developing regions, as it is estimated that every year 21 million girls aged between 15 to 19 years become pregnant. In the context of South Africa, the issue of teenage pregnancy is quite alarming as 40% of the people dropped out of school before finishing grade 12 and the only reason is teens get pregnant. The last two years have witnessed a significant rise in teenage pregnancy in South Africa and it is especially across the four important provinces that are KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. Statistics indicate that there are 34587 teenagers that have given birth to a child in 2020/21. During the period of Covid, there is a significant rise in teenage pregnancy witnessed in South Africa, as the statistics indicate that there is 60% rise in the number of children born to teen mothers in Gauteng which is one of the South Africa’s most populous provinces.

Body

Causes of Teenage Pregnancy among South African Teenagers

The problem of teenage pregnancy in South Africa is a major one and there are significant steps and initiatives being considered by the South African government to control this issue. An analysis of the existing literature indicates that there are many causes behind the issue of significant rise in teenage pregnancy within South African teens. The important contributing factors to the issue of teenage  pregnancy in South Africa includes poverty, gender inequalities, gender based violence, poor access to contraceptives, substance use, issues with the termination of pregnancy, inconsistent and incorrect use of contraceptives, and also the limited number of healthcare available across the country. In addition to this, South African teens have high level of involvement in dating or sexual activities at young age this has resulted into increasing chances of teens getting pregnant at early age. The lack of education is also a primary factor that leads to teenage pregnancy in South Africa. Children not attending school and have no maternal education or father’s education, also increases the chances of teens getting involved in sexual activities and giving birth to a child during their teenage.

Effect of Teenage Pregnancy, Risks Involved and Measures Undertaken

Teenage pregnancy is considered as highly threatening because of the significant level of risk associated with it. The most significant risk is the risk of going into depression from teenage pregnancy. The risk of depression increases significantly, if a mom has a baby before 37 weeks or experiences complications. The important effects of teenage pregnancy can be identified in the form of mood swings, anxiety, sadness, trouble eating, and difficulties in concentration and in sleeping. Apart from these effects, the additional risks to which the teen is exposed to are the risk of low birth weight or premature birth, anaemia, high blood pressure, increased chances of infant mortality and higher risk of cephalopelvic disproportion. These are the major risks to which a teen is exposed in case of teenage pregnancy.

Teen pregnancy not only affects their health in an adverse manner, but also have a negative impact on their education. It can disrupt the young girl’s education and cause them to drop out of school. This can adversely affect their chances of getting jobs later. The issue therefore requires proper interventions to be undertaken in order to address the problem in an effective way. Child education is a crucial step that is required to be considered as a part of addressing the issue of pregnancy in South Africa. It is also important to enhance the healthcare system so that proper treatment and facilities are available to teens to make important decisions with confidence. It is important to educate teens to make use of contraceptives while having intercourse so that they might be stopped from getting pregnant.

Conclusion

The entire analysis led to findings that the issue of teenage pregnancy is a major problem not only in South Africa but across the world. The number of cases of teenage pregnancy has further increased during Covid, and put extra burden on the health care system across the country. The analysis leads to finding that there are significant risks involved from teenage pregnancy and it has adverse impacts on the health and wellbeing of teens. The important measures required to address the problems include educating teens and making them understand the need to use contraceptives while having intercourse with their male partner.

Get top quality of essay help in South Africa from the experts of Student Life Saviour at affordable prices.