Throughout this course we have learned a lot about what it’s like for adolescence living in the United States. After reading the study of South African teenage pregnancies I learned that the life of an adolescent, especially a teenage parent, is very different then that of a teenager in the U.S. The pregnancy rate is so high in South Africa that 4 out of 10 girls are pregnant before the age of twenty, this is over 30%. The research from this study also found that of the total uneducated population, women account for 61%. This shows that even though the adolescent male has a child too, he is not denied the same education that the mother strives for. It is almost as if the female is looked down upon but the male is not penalized or set back from his education. I think this is also similar to what occurs in the United States; males are typically able to continue with their education as normal and if one parent is set back, it is almost always the mother. It is almost as if the mother is being punished for not maintaining her virginity, while the father holds no responsibility. In South Africa, maintaining one’s virginity is important and held to the woman to keep. Valenti quotes Laura Carpenter in her article The Cult of Virginity ‘“ I think the emphasis on virginity, particularly for women, causes a lot more harm then good”’ (Valenti 21). This is also perhaps why teenage mothers find it extremely difficult to be accepted by their peers when they attempt to go back to school, which is later discussed. Ultimately, virginity is important in society and because of this young mothers are not welcomed back into society. Also, pregnancy rates were much higher at predominantly black schools in South Africa. This is also true in the United States according to U.S. Teenage Pregnancy and Abortion Rates.
One major problem that is being faced in South Africa due to teenage pregnancy is the inability for girls to finish their education after having their babies. When these girls go back to school they are often seen as poor or incapable students simply because they had a child. “We so rarely think of sexuality in positive or healthy terms that doing so requires a shift in mindset” (Tolman 3). It almost seems as if society gives up on them entirely because society is seen in a negative light. By looking at teenage mothers in this light will only add to the already high poverty rate because they are offered no support. In fact, some public schools aren’t even allowing students back into their schools if they have had a baby for fear of influencing other girls to become pregnant as well. I think in order to shift this mindset as Tolman states sex education needs to be offered in schools to offer more understand in the minds of students and teachers. Mothers are sometimes afraid of going back to school because students, as well as teachers, view them negatively and give little support.
Perhaps one of the reasons why the situation is dealt with so differently in South Africa is because sexuality is much more of a private thing there. I think that we live in a society where sexuality isn’t very reserved. South Africa does not offer the same support for women compared to the United States. For example, counseling is only marginally available, if at all. I think counseling is so important in learning to cope with issues. When people, especially girls, do not have anyone to talk about their feelings and what they’re going through there is no way for them to cope. I realize that there are people here in the United States that go through a feeling of isolation after having their child, but we are given resources here that are not even offered in South Africa. Also, no school accommodations are made for mothers. One teacher in this study stated “They chose to have a kid so why should special arrangements be made?”. This shows nothing but extreme ignorance on the side of the education system. What is the point in setting these mothers even farther back in society and putting them into poverty? School is hard enough for a typical student, nonetheless a teenager who’s first job is to be a good mother. I think this is extremely sad that schools will not make any accommodations for mothers.
I think that in order for things to change in South Africa teachers need to be trained in how to best help teenage girls who feel scared and alone. Perhaps the biggest help would be an availability to resources such as counselors and daycare facilities.
Works Cited
Tolman. "Getting Beyond "It Just Happened"" Web.
U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Birth Rates, and Abortion: National and Sate Trends by Race and Ethnicity. January 2010. Guttmacher Institute.
Valenti, Jessica. "The Cult of Virginity." Web.http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf
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