Over 122 000 births in a year
Teenage pregnancies in SA are at alarming levels, with more than 122 000 teenagers giving birth in the past financial year. Of these, 2 716 were girls aged 10 to 14, and 119 587 were aged 15 to 19.
DA alarmed by number of teenage pregnancies
Alexandra Abrahams, Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament, stated that she has written to the Chairperson of the Social Development Committee, Bridget Masango MP, calling on her to summon the Department of Social Development to ask what they are doing to address the issue.
“The stats present two alarming issues: the lack of education about safe sex in schools and the lack of investigations regarding prima facie cases of sexual assault.”
Alexandra Abrahams
Pregnancies per province
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has recorded the lowest figure of adolescent pregnancies so far in 2024, as reported by IOL. There have been 6 171 fewer teenage pregnancies this year in the Western Cape than the same time last year.
Following are the number of pregnancies among girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years old per province:
- KwaZulu-Natal: 610
- Gauteng: 430
- Eastern Cape: 395
- Limpopo: 375
- Mpumalanga: 293
- Western Cape: 286
- North West: 151
- Free State: 106
- Northern Cape: 70
Of the total 119 586 pregnancies among girls between 15 and 19 years old, the numbers per province are:
- KwaZulu-Natal: 30 478
- Gauteng: 19 406
- Limpopo: 16 262
- Eastern Cape: 15 827
- Mpumalanga: 11 534
- Western Cape: 9 622
- North West: 7 525
- Free State: 5 395
- Northern Cape: 3 538
Markedly, more than 1 000 girls between the ages of 10 and 14, and close to 20 000 girls aged between 15 and 19 terminated their pregnancies.
What is driving teenage pregnancies in SA?
Abrahams said that various factors drive teenage pregnancies in South Africa. These include poverty, poor access to contraceptives, gender inequalities, sexual taboos, high levels of gender-based violence, and also inadequate sex education.
What does the law say in terms of sex among minors?
In South Africa, it is illegal for someone to engage in sex with a partner younger than 16 years unless they are less than two years older than them, or they are both between the age of 12 and 16 and consenting. It remains illegal for anyone to engage in sexual activities with a child under the age of 12 whether consent has been given or not.
What do you think can be done to decrease teenage pregnancies in SA?
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