Human capital consequences of teenage childbearing in South Africa
Women in South Africa have had fewer children on average since the 1970s, but the rate of teenage childbearing in South Africa has remained the same.
Women in South Africa have had fewer children on average since the 1970s, but the rate of teenage childbearing in South Africa has remained the same.
Background: Adolescent pregnancy, occurring in girls aged 10–19 years, remains a serious health and social problem worldwide, and has been associated with numerous risk factors evident in the young people’s family, peer, school, and neighbourhood contexts.
Post-apartheid, South Africa democratised access to education as enshrined in the country’s Constitutional Bill of Rights of 1996.
Education is a vital component of the preparation for adulthood, and is closely linked to transitions into marriage and parenting. Childbearing among adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa remains high, while primary school completion is far from universal.
This study was commissioned following a need to conduct in-depth analysis and document the way HIV and AIDS is mainstreamed in the national school curriculum in Rwanda and formulate comprehensive recommendations to the identified gaps.
Although many sub-Saharan African countries that are affected by HIV and AIDS have developed education sector policies in response to the epidemic, there are still challenges in effectively addressing the issue in schools.
In West and Central Africa (WCA), teachers are among the most vulnerable since they are seen as role models in the community. HIV & AIDS increase the morbidity and the mortality of already inadequate number of teachers within the education sector.
This Review reflects on the borders that have been placed around sexual identity, sexual behaviour and sexuality.
With an overall adult HIV prevalence of 15.3%, Namibia is facing one of the largest HIV epidemics in Africa. Young people aged 20 to 34 years constitute one of the groups at highest risk of HIV infection in Namibia.
While the HIV epidemic is levelling off in sub-Saharan Africa, it remains at an unacceptably high level. Young people aged 15-24 years remain particularly vulnerable, resulting in a regional HIV prevalence of 1.4% in young men and 3.3% in young women.