1 in 7 mothers in South Africa are teens
Shocking statistics reveal that one in seven South African moms are teenagers, and roughly 365 teenagers give birth every day.
123rf.com
Bongani Bingwa speaks with Anna-Maria van Niekerk and Linda Pretorius of the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism.
Listen below.
Teen pregnancy and teenage mothers are common in South Africa.
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According to Pretorious, data shows 132 300 teenagers are giving birth every year.
“That works out to 365 teenage births every day per year in South Africa.”
- Linda Pretorius, Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism
Van Niekerk reports there has been a massive increase in pregnancies for children between 10 and 14.
Roughly 3500 girls under the age of 15 fell pregnant in 2022.
“That is an alarming number… it has such consequences for the rest of her life.”
- Linda Pretorius, Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism
Girls at this age have huge risks of eclampsia, infections, stillbirth, or low birth weight for the baby, adds Pretorius.
In consensual relationships, these girls are often denied access to birth control because of their age due to judgment at clinics.
However, Van Niekerk says many of these girls are victims of rape and never make it to the clinics.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.