Adolescent mothers' knowledge and perceptions of contraceptives in Tshwane, South Africa: research

Abstract

This descriptive quantitative survey attempted to identify reasons why adolescent mothers (aged 19 or younger at the birth of their babies) failed to utilise contraceptive, emergency contraceptive and / or termination of pregnancy (TOP) services. The research population comprised all adolescent mothers in the region, the accessible convenience sample consisted of all adolescent mothers who visited Tshwane's Metropolitan Council clinics from 1 January till 31 March 2000, and who were willing to complete questionnaires, designed and tested during a joint World Health Organization and Commonwealth Reproductive Health Workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe, during 1998. During pretesting, 12 questionnaires were completed by adolescent mothers who were excluded from the actual study. This report refers to data (analysed with the Epi-Info program) obtained from 61 completed questionnaires. Only a minority of these 61 adolescent mothers earned sufficient money to sustain themselves and their babies. In spite of these unfavourable financial circumstances, only 23 (37.7%) had used contraceptives prior to conception. None of them used emergency contraceptives and none accessed termination of pregnancy services. Although all these services are available free of charge in the region, these adolescent mothers did not use them. The adolescent mothers required more knowledge about contraceptives, emergency contraceptives and TOP services, and they need to perceive these services as being accessible and safe before they could utilise them effectively. Clinics providing these services should be open over weekends and during evenings so that adolescents can obtain contraceptive services without fear of meeting their mothers, aunts or teachers at these clinics. Reproductive health clinics should also strive towards providing more adolescent-friendly services.


Hierdie beskrywende kwantitatiewe opname het gepoog om redes te bepaal waarom adolessente moeders (wat 19 jaar oud of jonger was tydens die geboorte van hulle babas) nie gebruik gemaak het van kontrasepsie (voorbehoedmiddels) of noodkontrasepsie, en / of terminasie van swangerskap (";termination of pregnancy - TOP";) dienste nie. Die navorsingspopulasie het bestaan uit alle adolessente moeders in die streek, die bereikbare gerieflike steekproef het bestaan uit alle adolessente moeders wat die Tshwane Metropolitaanse Raad se klinieke van 1 Januarie tot 31 Maart 2000 besoek het, en wat bereid was om vraelyste te voltooi. Die vraelyste is ontwerp en getoets tydens 'n gesamentlike Wêreld Gesondheids Organisasie en Statebond Voortplantingsgesondheidwerkswinkel in Harare, Zimbabwe, gedurende 1998. Tydens die voortoetsfase is 12 vraelyste voltooi deur adolessente moeders wat nie aan die werklike studie deelgeneem het nie. Hierdie verslag verwys na die data (ontleed met behulp van die Epi-Info program) wat verkry is uit 61 vraelyste wat in die Tshwaneomgewing voltooi is tussen 1 Januarie en 31 Maart 2000. Slegs enkele van hierdie 61 adolessente moeders het inkomstes gehad wat voldoende was om hulleself en hulle babas te onderhou. Ten spyte van die ongunstige finansiële omstandighede, het slegs 23 (37.7%) enige kontrasepsie gebruik voor hulle swangerskappe. Niemand het noodkontrasepsie gebruik nie en ook nie terminasie van swangerskap dienste nie. Alhoewel hierdie dienste gratis beskikbaar is in die Tshwane-omgewing, kon die respondente nie daarin slaag om die dienste te benut nie. Die adolessente moeders benodig meer kennis oor kontrasepsie, noodkontrasepsie en terminasie van swangerskap dienste, asook persepsies dat die dienste bereikbaar en veilig is, alvorens hulle die dienste kan benut. Klinieke wat sodanige dienste verskaf, behoort naweke en saans oop te wees sodat adolessente die klinieke kan bywoon sonder om te vrees dat hulle moeders, tannies of onderwyseresse ook daar sal wees. Reproduktiewe gesondheidsorgklinieke moet ook meer adolessente-vriendelike dienste daarstel.


Key words: Adolescent mothers, Contraceptives, Knowledge and utilisation of contraceptives, Emergency contraceptives, Teenage pregnancies, Termination of pregnancy services


(Health SA Gesondheid : interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(1): 13-25)