Qualitative reflections on teenage motherhood experiences

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The aim of the current study was to undertake a phenomenologicalinvestigation on teenage motherhood and to learn how this experience formspart of the teenage mother's life. Using the snowball sampling method, fivewomen aged between 26 and 35 years were selected to participate in thestudy. All the five women became mothers during their teenage years. Indepthinterviews were conducted in Northern Sotho and Tshivenda dependingon the language preference and fluency of the participant. The interviewswere audio-taped, and later transcribed and translated.A phenomenological method of analysis was used to transform the originaldata into natural meaning units (NMUs) which were further interrogated so asto distil central sociological themes that were associated with the experienceof teenage motherhood. Apart from the finding that the participants gotpregnant when they were aged between 16 and 18, five sociological themesassociated with teenage motherhood were identified. These are:• Lack of knowledge about sexual relationships contributes to teenagepregnancy and motherhood.• Early childbearing has a negative impact on the teenage mother'ssocial relationships.• Teenage mothers tend to experience emotional problems after deliveryof their babies.• Teenage motherhood has a long term disruptive effect on the teenagemother's educational and occupational opportunities.• Teenage motherhood leads to significant lifestyle changes for thosewho have been through the experience.In view of the above themes, sexual education both at school and at home, issuggested here as a more viable option to help minimise the risk of teenagemotherhood in society. Whilst other options like abortion and the newlyintroduced child support grant are also available to the teenage mother, theseare not considered favourable.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University