Research experiences of black adolescents who chose to terminate their pregnancies: research

Abstract

The "Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act" (No. 92 of 1996) determines that a woman, including a 12-year old pregnant adolescent, can choose to terminate a pregnancy without the consent of parents, guardian or friends. This Act also makes provision for counseling, but research indicated that the counseling provided, focussed on the procedure of the termination, rather than on the psychological or emotional support to the woman who chose to terminate her pregnancy (Poggenpoel, Myburgh & Gmeiner, 1998: 4). Many women suffered from guilt feelings, anger, sadness and depression after they had a termination of pregnancy (Suffla, 1997: 219; Howard, 1985: 29). The researcher became interested in hearing the voices of black adolescents who chose to terminate their pregnancies and the following study emerged: A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was conducted to learn of the experiences of black adolescents who chose to terminate a pregnancy. A pilot phenomenological interview was conducted with a black adolescent who chose to terminate a pregnancy and who met the selection criteria. The phenomenological interviews were conducted in English and Tswana with nine black adolescents that volunteered to participate in the study and who were purposively selected. Steps were taken to ensure trustworthiness. Tesch's method of data-analysis was followed to analyse the data. The results indicated that black adolescents who chose to terminate a pregnancy, experienced emotional turmoil, physical distress and used psychological defence mechanisms as ways to cope, and some gained emotional maturity from the experience. Guidelines for supportive actions by the advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner were described in the form of therapeutic supportive counselling, but will be addressed in a separate article. Black adolescents who choose to terminate their pregnancy need support from psychiatric nurses, as well as nurses engaged in the termination of pregnancies in different health facilities, in order to promote their mental health. The focus of this article will be to describe the adolescents' experiences involved in the termination of a pregnancy.


Die "Wet op Keuse van Terminasie van Swangerskap" (No. 92 van 1996) bepaal dat 'n vrou, insluitend 'n 12-jarige swanger addolesent, kan kies om haar swangerskap te beëindig sonder haar ouers, voog of vriende se goedkeuring. Hierdie wet maak voorts voorsiening vir berading. Navorsing toon egter dat die berading op die prosedure van terminasie fokus, eerder as op die psigologiese of emosionele ondersteuning vir die vrou wat gekies het om haar swangerskap te beëindig (Poggenpoel, Myburgh & Gmeiner, 1998: 4). Baie vrouens gaan gebuk onder skuldgevoelens, woede, hartseer en depressie na die beëindiging van hul swangerskap (Suffla, 1997: 219 ; Howard, 1985: 29). Die navorser het daarin belang gestel om die stemme van swart addolesente wat hul swangerskap beëindig het te hoor. Dit het gelei tot die navorsingstudie wat gevolglik bespreek sal word. 'n Kwalitatiewe, verkennende, beskrywende en kontekstuele navorsingstudie is uitgevoer om die ervarings van swart adolessente wat kies om hul swangerskap te termineer, te verken en te beskryf. 'n Fenomenologiese loodsstudie is uitgevoer met 'n swart adolessent wat gekies het om haar swangerskap te termineer en wat aan die kriteria vir insluiting voldoen het. Die fenomenologiese onderhoude was in Engels en Tswana gevoer met nege swart adolessente wat vrywillig aan die studie deelgeneem het en doelgerig geselekteer is. Stappe is geneem om vertrouenswaardigheid te verseker. Tesch se metode van data-analise is gevolg om die data te analiseer. Die resultate dui aan dat swart adolessente wat gekies het om hul swangerskap te termineer, emosionele verwarring en fisiese ongemak ervaar en psigologiese verdedigingsmeganismes as maniere om te oorleef gebruik en sommige het selfs emosionele volwassenheid ervaar as gevolg van hul ervaring van die terminasie van hul swangerskap. Riglyne vir ondersteunende aksies deur gevorderde psigiatriese verpleegpraktisyns sal in 'n afsonderlike artikel bespreek word. Die swart adolessente wat die terminasie van hul swangerskap gekies het benodig ondersteuning van psigiatriese verpleegkundiges, sowel as verpleegkundiges van verskillende instansies, wat betrokke is by die terminasie van swangerskappe, ten einde hul geestesgesondheid te bevorder. Die artikel fokus op 'n beskrywing van swart adolessente se ervaring van die terminasie van hul swangerskap.


(Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2002 7(1): 68-81)