7 Negative Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy on the Individual Level
On this page we will discuss the negative consequences of teenage pregnancy on the individual level. It has been recorded that the number of teenage pregnancies in South Africa has been on the rise over the past five years. Most of this rise happened in the past two years due to the lockdowns. Teenage pragnancy has many negative consequences on individuals. But first, lets understand what teenage pregnancy really is.
Watch: South Africa Teenage Pregnancy Rising
What is Teenage Pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy is when a woman under 20 gets pregnant. It usually refers to teens between the ages of 15-19. But it can include girls as young as 10. It’s also called teen pregnancy or adolescent pregnancy.
7 Negative Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy on the Individual Level
The sad part about teenage pregnancy is that the harsher realities and hardships are mostly experienced and felt by females. This is simple because the females are the ones who carry pregnancies, while the males don’t. This is not to undermine the emotional stress and depression that the males experience as a result of unwanted teenage pregnancies.
- Stigma: pregnant teens are stigmatised and judged by parents, family, and society as a whole.
- Rejection: pregnant teens are rejected by partners, parents, schools, and societies.
- Possible death: Pregnancy and childbirth complications are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15–19 years globally
- Preterm delivery is common amongst pregnant teens, and this leads to a complicated mother-child relationships
- School dropout is common among pregnant teens. This means a girl’s career goals will be severely impacted
- Violence in relationships: pregnant teens usually experience violence in their relationships (mostly due to unwanted pregnancy and imaturity).
- Financial challenges: pregnant teens don’t work, therefore it becomes hard to provide financially for the child, unless if parents and the partners are surpotive.
