Teenage Pregnancy: A Growing Concern in Mauritius - Essay Sample

Introduction

Teenage pregnancy is a global issue in the world today. In Mauritius, teenage pregnancy is prevalent and is a major concern for the authorities, parents and the society at large (Gender Links for Equality and Justice, 2020). An article by Macky (2018) on the Sunday Times Mauritius reveals that there were 147 cases of teenage pregnancy in 2015, 46 teenage pregnancy between January and March in 2016, and 208 cases of teenage pregnancies in 2017. The data is suggestive of the fact that the situation of teenage pregnancies is worsening in Mauritius. While teenage pregnancy is an increasing societal problem in Mauritius, various measures by the government, ministries, and organizations are being undertaken to eradicate this dilemma.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Teenage pregnancy is considered to be of utmost concern in the welfare and health policies. However, in Mauritius, the phenomenon is misunderstood and only nominal statistics exist with very few of the non-governmental organizations working closely with vulnerable families to shed light on the issue (Ballet & Bhukuth, 2019). In Mauritius, young people particularly those aged between ten to twenty-four years are becoming sexually active at an increasingly earlier age with high rates of unwanted teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS (National sexual and Reproductive Health Policy, 2007).

Several factors pertain to teenage pregnancy; rape, being sexually active at an early age due to peer pressure influence, lack of parental control on the child, broken families, lack of information on contraceptive methods, communication gap between parents and children, and no sexual education at school (Report to CEDAW from Mauritius). Every year the Mauritius Family Planning Welfare Association features nearly three hundred victims of sexual abuse (Mauritius Research Council, 2020). Sexual abuse and rape have led to the pregnancy of many victim teenage girls. Teenagers who do not have access to higher education or those who do not find it worthwhile opt to drop out and end up falling pregnant.

Other causes for teenage pregnancy in Mauritius include social background, parental absence, contraception failure, and lack of knowledge. Most teenage girls may not be aware of the consequences that accompany sex. Teenage pregnancies are one of the main risk factors leading to the engagement of children in prostitution (ECPAT international, 2019). An article by Bhukuth & Ballet (2019) also illustrates that teenage motherhood itself leads to prostitution. The government and organizations in Mauritius therefore, aim to curb the issues that lead to teenage pregnancy and avoid later repercussions. For instance, there are laws in Mauritius which address the causes of teenage pregnancy. The laws do not permit rape and impose a penal servitude on those found guilty. It also establishes that any form of sexual offenses is prohibited.

Institutions in Mauritius such as the Ministry of health and quality life, Child Development and Family Welfare, Ministry of Gender Equality, Family support Bureau, Child Development Unit, Ministry of Education, and Human resources and reform institutions are geared towards reducing if not alleviating teenage pregnancies. The Mauritius Family Planning and Welfare Association has set up youth-friendly centers to provide counseling sessions on reproductive health. The organization helps young teenage girls and provides birth control services. It has set up drop-up centers where victims of rape and sexual abuse can seek assistance and counseling. In schools, the organization has ensured that there is sex education. The organization through its employees and service providers establishes good relations with teenage mothers to ensure that they feel surrounded and accepted.

Family planning organizations have been in place since 1957 (Hein, 1977). The Action Familiale in Mauritius was formed and still has the sole aim of providing birth control. It also offers sex education and counseling to young mothers. The government of Mauritius provided subsidies to the Mauritius Family Planning Welfare Association. A population policy had been included in the nation's year plan in 1971 as part of the development strategy. The Ministry of health also requested a review of contraceptive use to gather information about the extent of the use and the characteristics of women using them.

The health Ministry works in collaboration with a non-governmental organization namely Mouvement D'Aide a la Maternite to prevent pregnancies (Unicef, 2016). The Mouvement D'Aide a la Maternite organization offers support and assistance to young teenage mothers. The mothers are prepared and educated on ways to deal with childbirth and childcare. The organization also issues CD ROMs that educate teenagers such that they of the consequences before engaging in sexual activities.

Qualified staff from the ministry of health, Action Familiale and Mauritius Family Planning Welfare Association hold talks in secondary schools on reproductive health issues. The Mauritius Family Planning Welfare Association also carries out family life education in secondary schools. Campaigns are carried in and out of schools to sensitize the youth on the effects of substance abuse. There are also awareness sessions in Mauritius that involve sexual education which also teach on teenage pregnancy.

The general indicators of increasing sexual activity in Mauritius are rising rates of teenage pregnancies and legal abortion that are measured by the rising rates of medical complications that require hospitalization (Schensul et al., 1994). The Ministry of Health has thus set up centers that give talks on the sexual reproductive health of the teenagers in aim to curb the dilemma. Teenagers who get pregnant at an early stage face economic repercussions and severe health conditions. Measures are also put on place to ensure that teenage mothers do not have many health complications. A number of teenage girls who fall pregnant tend to commit suicide due to isolation, stress, social exclusion or stigma. To eradicate this issue, girls are put under guidance and counseling sessions that are present even in hospitals.

In Mauritius, there is increased availability and use of integrated sexual and reproductive health services that include family planning, maternal health which are gender-responsive and meet human rights standards for quality of care and equity in access (United Nations Population Fund, 2020). In catering for the youth, there has been an increased priority in the adolescents, in particular, teenage girls, which have featured in national programs and policies and primarily focused on comprehensive sex education, and reproductive health. Mauritius' government has also ensured that there are advanced teenage girls' empowerment, gender equality, and rights that also incorporate adolescents.

Teenage pregnancy is viewed as a taboo and, therefore, brings stigma to pregnant teenagers and their families. The young girls end up being rejected to which they may suffer physical, psychological, and emotional abuse. Service providers make plans for the families of pregnant teenagers to ensure that they accept them. Other service providers in Mauritius provide contraceptives, birth control services, and empower pregnant teenagers to have an independent and social life. Condoms are the most widely used form of contraceptives although teenagers are poor users of both hormonal and barrier contraceptives. Therefore, organizations combine the use of condoms plus contraceptive pill with the aim of preventing pregnancies.

The ignorance about sexuality and reproduction both in parents, teachers, and adolescents increases the early initiation of coital relations and of unwanted pregnancies (Cartes & Araya, 2012). Thus, in Mauritius, sex education has been introduced in the educational curriculum. However, in developing countries, such as Mauritius, sex is still considered to be a taboo subject and the views of sex education among adolescents, parents, and teachers differ considerably (Emambokus & Oogarah, 2019). Sex education in schools is subject to controversies.

The United Nations Populations fund in Mauritius aims to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled (United Nations Population Fund, 2020). Data for the 2018 Mauritius program reveals that it has spent 17.8% of funds on integrating sexual and reproductive health services, and a further 19.3% on adolescents and youth (United Nations Population Fund, 2020). The data reveals that Mauritius has programs implemented to alleviate teenage pregnancies.

Mauritius can currently boast of free health care and free education to all its citizens (Bundoo, 2013). For instance, The MEDCO Cassis school has sessions facilitated by a non-governmental organization that enlightens on the changes that a girl experiences during puberty. The lessons taught in the school include how a teenage girl can protect herself, and how to evade the stunt of men. The lessons are provided with an aim to eradicate the issue of early pregnancy as the young girls and boys are responsible for the increase of teenage pregnancy cases in Mauritius.

Although there still remains ideologically and empirically-based debates over the relative value of abstinence-only interventions and comprehensive sex education, research implies that many teenage pregnancy prevention programs are quite effective and that some programs are more effective for certain teens than for others (Farber, 2016). The programs by organizations and the government in Mauritius have had an impact on reducing teenage pregnancy cases.

References

Ballet, J., & Bhukuth, A. (Eds.). (2019). Child Exploitation in the Global South. Springer International Publishing.

Bhukuth, A., & Ballet, J. (2019). Prostitution and Survival in Mauritius. In Child Exploitation in the Global South (pp. 157-171). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ballet_Jerome/publication/325765240_Prostitution_and_Survival_in_Mauritius/links/5b8cf92a4585151fd144acca/Prostitution-and-Survival-in-Mauritius.pdf#page=162

Bundoo, S. K. (2013). An Analysis of the Impact of Reproductive Health on Growth and Poverty: The Case of Mauritius. https://aercafricahub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/RH_07_Bundoo_Mauritius.pdf

Cartes, R. M., & Araya, E. G. (2012). Teenage pregnancy. In Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (Vol. 22, pp. 302-331). Karger Publishers. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ramiro_Molina2/publication/230588265_Teenage_Pregnancy/links/0c96051e695eaba289000000/Teenage-Pregnancy.pdf

ECPAT International. (2019). ECPAT Country Overview: Mauritius. Bangkok: ECPAT International. Retrieved from https://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Mauritius-ECPAT-Country-Overview-Mauritius-July-2019.pdf

Emambokus, W. B. S., & Oogarah-Pratap, B. (2019). Exploring Parents' and Teachers' Perspectives about School-Based Sexuality Education in a Multicultural Context: A Case Study in Mauritius. Educational Process: International Journal, 8(3), 185. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brinda_Oogarah-Pratap/publication/337113862_Educational_Process_International_Journal_Exploring_Parents'_and_Teachers'_Perspectives_about_School-Based_Sexuality_Education_in_a_Multicultural_Context_A_Case_Study_in_Mauritius_Exploring_Parents'_a/links/5dc5c57f4585151435f7de07/Educational-Process-International-Journal-Exploring-Parents-and-Teachers-Perspectives-about school-Based-Sexuality-Education-in-a-Multicultural-Context-A-Case-Study-in-Mauritius-Exploring-Parents-and.pdf

Farber, N. (2016). Adolescent Pregnancy: Past, Present and Future Trends, and Issues. Retrieved from

https:...