12-years-old and pregnant, Meet the father

Report – A pregnant 12-year-old went viral after posting her photos showing off her bump on social media. The ‘pregnant and proud’ child have since received mixed reactions from social media users. The shocking plot twist is that apparently the father responsible is also an underage teenager.

See the full story here: 12-years-old and pregnant 

The father to be is just 14-years-old and is also seen with the young girl in some of the viral pictures. Check the photos below: The following are the facts you should know about teenage Pregnancy in South Africa. [Please share]

1. More Teenage Fathers Are Willing To Be Actively Involved

Although it has often been assumed and believed that teenage fathers aren’t willing to take part in caring for the baby/babies they fathered, a study found that increasing number of fathers are trying to be more involved. This is so irrespective of the fact that most of them are teenage boys and are not ready for fatherhood.

“…They expressed a deep sense of responsibility for the child and a willingness to be actively involved in the child’s life. Unlike reports from the perspectives of young women, few men spoke of denying paternity…the key motivation to be present and to participate in their children’s lives is the absence of their own fathers,” read an excerpt of the study.

2. There’s A Condom Problem

The said study pointed out that insufficient contraceptive knowledge and not using contraceptives correctly is one of the factors driving teenage pregnancy in South Africa.

Irrespective of the fact that many teenagers have the basic knowledge about contraceptives and protection from unwanted pregnancies, they don’t know how to rightly use the contraceptives consistently. This is best captured by what one of the teenage mothers said – “Yes, we were informed about condoms, but never really had access to them and also couldn’t use them even if we had them because nobody took the time to show us the right way.

“We were not able to use the knowledge we gained in class as it was not enough to give us a picture of the right way.”

3. No! Teenage Girls Don’t Get Pregnant To Get Government’s Child Support Grant

In a bid to explain why more and more teenage girls are getting pregnant in the country, it started circulating that the girls are taking in just to cash in on the child support grant that comes from the government. But, Statistics South Africa said this is not true. According to Statistician-General Pali Lehohla, the notion that the grants influence young girls to produce children is unfounded.

“…The evidence before us over a period from 1998 to 2016 doesn’t show that. It doesn’t show any increase in the proportion of teenagers who are giving birth, therefore dismissing…that myth which is popular (among) parents especially in rural areas,” he said.

The country’s minister of health agreed with Lehohla pointing out that majority of teenage mothers only register for social grants two years after giving birth to a child. “If surely they were falling pregnant because they target the social grants, why wait for two years?” He asked.

4. Not Talking About sx Is The Taboo

Believing sx is a taboo subject has gone a long way in facilitating the widespread of teenage pregnancy in South Africa. Several studies have found that lack of communication between parents and their children exacerbates the problem. Many South African parents still believe it is taboo to talk about sx with young people. As such, the kids fall pregnant because they lack parental guidance and role models.