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Rejoice Makoni
Herald Correspondent
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund report on the national assessment on adolescent pregnancy has revealed that 21 percent of ante-natal bookings for 2019 to 2022, and of births, were for adolescents aged 10-19 years.
A study was done in the country’s 10 provinces to identify root causes leading to adolescent pregnancy during the Covid 19 era. The report states that early exposure to pornographic and sexually oriented materials through increased and unrestricted access to cell phones were emerging key drivers.
“An estimated 1,706,946 antenatal bookings were made in 1 560 health care facilities from 2019-2022 among women of childbearing age aged 10 years and above. Of these, 21 percent were among adolescents aged 10-19 years,” reads the report
“Adolescent pregnancy prevalence was 23,7 percent for adolescents aged between 10-19 years while 4.0 percent had disabilities. The analysis of adolescent pregnancy prevalence showed that 0,9 percent of 10 to 14-year-olds and 41,2 percent of 15 to 19-year-olds had been pregnant.”
Prevalence of pregnancy differed significantly between the two age groups, with older adolescents (15-19 years old) being 71.2 times more likely to be pregnant than very young adolescents (10 to 14-year-olds).
However, the report revealed high uptake of maternal and child health services among adolescents regardless of age or disability with the high uptake of antenatal care at 76,33 percent and postnatal care at 84,27 percent reported nationally.
The study also found that prevailing economic hardships and unemployment were among key drivers of adolescent pregnancy.
“The upsurge in parental migration has undermined family structures leaving children alone or under the care of de facto caregivers thereby increasing children’s vulnerability to risky sexual behaviour and sexual abuse.
“Lack of parental care and supervision because of parents or caregivers’ long working hours and prolonged absence from home has fuelled adolescent pregnancies through consensual sex, transactional sex and sexual abuse.”
The report was done in partnership with United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
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