A 28-year-old man was arrested for statutory rape after allegedly impregnating a 13-year-old girl who gave birth on Christmas Day at Seshego Hospital, Limpopo.
RAMATHUBA PRAISES POLICE FOR THEIR QUICK RESPONSE
According to TimesLIVE, Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba has praised members of the SAPS for responding quickly to the situation.
She said that it is their responsibility to ensure that the judiciary acts according to the severity of the crime.
She says, “Statutory rape is visible in many parts of our province, and we need to bring to a close such a sad chapter.”
The suspect is currently in custody and will make his court appearance soon.
OVER 30 TEENAGERS GAVE BIRTH ON CHRISTMAS DAY
According to SABC News, approximately 31 teenagers gave birth on Christmas Day.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane raised concerns about the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy. She mentioned that three 15-year-old girls gave birth at Hlabisa and St. Aidan’s Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Two of the fathers are aged 19, while the third one is a 23-year-old man who impregnated a 14-year-old female. That is not acceptable, and as a society, we must stand up and fight the scourge. We also have a 16-year-old mother and a 17-year-old mother who delivered at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, and another 19-year-old who delivered at Escourt Hospital,” Simelane said.
She added that there is an 18-year-old who gave birth at Church of Scotland Hospital, highlighting that these are the youngest mothers of their Christmas babies.
She urged parents to take full responsibility for their children.
MORE THAN 350 TEENAGERS GIVE BIRTH EVERY DAY IN S.A
Bhekisisa mentioned that close to 365 teenagers give birth in South Africa every day. Poorer provinces have a higher rate of teenage pregnancies.
The Eastern Cape has the most teenage pregnancies in the country, followed by the Northern Cape, while Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal share the third spot. The Western Cape and Gauteng are the only two provinces with a lower rate.
The President of South Africa’s College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Zozo Nene, says that there is a lack of sexual education and access to health services like contraceptives and abortions in the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape.
She says teenagers are not mature enough to understand that sex comes with consequences.
“Parents and teachers often don’t discuss sex and sexuality with them because they are seen as ‘children’. Initially, they might hide the pregnancy, not recognising what a missed period means, and later, out of shame, this leaves them to deal with the pregnancy alone,” she said.
STRATEGIES TO PREVENT TEENAGE PREGNANCY
Teenagers can make use of these few strategies to prevent pregnancy.
Abstaining- Abstaining from sex is a 100% guaranteed way to prevent pregnancy. It means not engaging in sexual intercourse.
Contraceptives- Various types of contraceptives can be used to prevent pregnancy:
- Condoms
- Oral contraception (the pill),
- Injection
- Implanon
There is also an emergency pill that you can take within 3-5 if you engaged in unprotected sex.
Which other strategies can be used to prevent teenage pregnancy?
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