South Africa Concerned About The Rise in Teen Pregnancies

Teenage pregnancies are up twenty-one percent in South Africa. This increase in teen pregnancy also has health officials concerned about an increase in sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS.

When Pregnancy Begins - Education Ends

For many of these young girls once they become pregnant they are no longer allowed to attend school. In one town, a principal’s car was stoned after he spoke to the media about his concerns. Fortunately, for these young girls, some schools do allow them to continue with their education at once one does. Unfortunately, that school seems to have the highest number of teen pregnancies. The quoted statistics from that school follows: “Mavalani high school in rural Giyani, in the northern province of Limpopo, has 24 pregnant girls with an average of two in every class. Of those, 11 are in Grade 11, the second to last year of high school, according to the provincial education officials.” Many of the girls try to hide their pregnancy so they can continue their education in those cases most of the girls are not receiving the healthcare they need because they fear the stigma that teenage pregnancy brings with it in South Africa.

Conclusion

A lot of the concern with teenage pregnancy is not just the pregnancy but also the possibility of HIV and AIDS. South Africa has the highest HIV positive population in the world with 5.7 million HIV positive people.

Source: http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/afp/safricahealtheducationyouthsex