Unplanned teenage pregnancies and their impact on educational progress

Abstract

The teenage phase is a stage in life between childhood and adulthood. It is a distinctive stage of human development at which good health prospects are founded. During this period, rapid physical, cognitive and psychosocial growth is experienced. This affects their thinking, decision making and how they interact with other people around them. At this stage, teenagers search for new personalities and discern their sexuality which in some instances leads to premature pregnancy and childbearing. Teenage pregnancy is a cause of concern in several sub-Saharan African countries including Lesotho, where the number of girls dropping out of school due to pregnancy and to raise new born babies rises. Teenage pregnancy is allied with socioeconomic challenges leading to different education and employment goals among teenage mothers. Such challenges include poverty, high underemployment/unemployment rates, high neighbourhood level income inequality rates and low educational achievements. Due to high poverty rates in Lesotho, teenagers residing in marginalised societies become desperate and make flawed choices that lead to instant pleasure. Upon discovery of pregnancy however, many are left to deal with the repercussions on their own. High mortality rates due to HIV/AIDS and Covid 19 have also rendered girls in Lesotho vulnerable to teenage pregnancy and premature marriages. The purpose of this study was to investigate the socio-economic factors that influenced teenagers’ engagement in unsafe sexual acts, and how teenage pregnancy results in health, educational and economic costs. The study also investigated how pregnant teenagers are marginalised by the family, teachers and society. Premised on the qualitative research design, with the snowball and purposively sampled 25 respondents, the study used face-to-face interviews and focus group discussion for data collection. The data analysis has thus revealed a correlation between teenage pregnancy and poverty. The study has also found unplanned parenthood as having long-term adverse socio-economic impacts on adolescent mothers, thereby restricting their education and development prospects. It is, therefore, recommended that teenage girls should endeavour to complete their education, learn new functional skills, gain some work experience and design a future for themselves before starting a family.