TEEN PREGNANCY SHOCK

 

September 22, 2008

Zululand OBSERVER

	TEEN PREGNANCY SHOCK Ronelle Ramsamy TEEN pregnancy is steeply on the rise in Zululand and is drastically affecting youngsters' lives - not only in rural areas, but from all walks of life and income groups. So say local social workers following a letter that appeared in last Thursday's Zululand Observer, citing alarmingly high levels of teen pregnancy among University of Zululand students. The letter said lack of attention and guidance to first-year students reportedly led to early pregnancies. It further stated that the 'university was not doing enough to disseminate positive messages, which motivated the students to abstain from sex or to use birth controls'. Responding to the claims, Unizulu Registrar Sisho Maphisa confirmed that there was indeed a high rate of pregnancy. 'We cannot deny that there is a problem. This issue has been discussed at management level and we are working on a module in the curriculum to stretch across all degrees to disseminate appropriate information. 'This is a collective responsibility. We are addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, among others, through an AIDS policy, peer counsellors and a fully functional clinic. People think it will never happen to them, but we are a nation in denial. Most cases our clinic deals with relate to students with sexually transmitted diseases,' said Maphisa. Situation intensifies Disturbingly the situation is intensifying in the heart of rural areas, where local healthcare workers have confirmed that girls as young as 13 years of age are leaving school to take care of their infants. Maternity Operations Manager at the eNseleni Community Health Centre, Sister Xulu told the Zululand Observer that high poverty levels were the root of the problem. 'Most of these girls come from rural areas and date employed older men who give them money. This is a source of income to buy food and support the family. 'These older men take advantage of them. When the girl becomes pregnant, the boyfriend denies the pregnancy. 'When interviewed, the girls say it was a mistake, but that they were aware of contraception and the threat of HIV/AIDS. The children are educated about these issues at home, school and church, but choose to ignore it,' said Xulu. Richards Bay Family Care Manager, Erna Steynberg said the situation equally affected girls and boys. 'Many parents from all levels of society are phoning about their pregnant daughters or sons who have made their girlfriends pregnant. A youngster at 15 is still a child and is emotionally insecure and too immature to raise a child. 'A pregnancy influences the teenager's own development and education. We cannot blame a school or university for our children's actions. Moral decay in society is one of the biggest contributors to high teen pregnancies.' Income generation Members of the community have also stated that children from poverty stricken homes often look at child rearing as a means of gaining an income. 'Usually, children rely on pensions from their grandparents as their parents are often low-income earners. So, when they give birth, they are entitled to a R220 child support grant per child. If there are six children in one home, that translates to an income of R1 320 per month. As long as a child is below the age of 14 years, they qualify for the grant,' explained a community member.