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Unplanned pregnancies among female undergraduate & postgraduate students at higher education institution pose severe public health issue in South Africa (SA) and are also linked to bad health and social consequences that have a detrimental influence on academic advancement and future employment opportunities. The number of unplanned pregnancies among students at higher education institutions continues to rise, despite the government introduction of contraceptives and other preventative methods. Thus, the objective of this study was aimed at explore factors that contribute to unplanned pregnancies among students in higher institution of learning The study adopted non-empirical research, in which existing literature on factors that contributes to unplanned pregnancies among students in higher education institutions. This paper is solely based on a review and analysis of published research and data. The findings of this study indicate that peer pressure, contraceptive uptake, and substance abuse contribute to unplanned pregnancies among students at higher education institution. Peer pressure and inconsistent contraceptive usage are the two interdependent factors that significantly impact unplanned pregnancies at higher education institutions. However, it seems that the lack of sexual knowledge makes these problems worse. The paper notes factors such as peer pressure, contraceptive uptake, and substance abuse that contribute to unplanned pregnancies among students at higher education institutions. The paper recommends adopting policies that emphasize sexual abstinence or the use of contraceptives inclusive of condoms and the government to introduce a long-term injectable contraceptive.

This study explores the views of teenage mothers regarding abortions of unexpected pregnancies at the village of Elim, Makhado Municipality in Limpopo Province. The study employed a qualitative approach, which recognizes the need for an in-depth exploration of these views using semi-structured, open-ended interviews. Snowball sampling was used to recruit five female participants between the ages of 15 and 19 years old. Furthermore, the researcher utilized the ecological systems framework to evaluate the context in which these teenage mothers’ function and how their perceptions regarding abortions are constructed over time based on their systems. The data was analyzed thematically, and interpretations were made based on the themes of the collected data. The study found that teenagers shared mixed feelings associated with considering abortion. Others consider having an abortion to be bad and good, while others say they will consider abortion if they become pregnant while not ready. Regarding the influences of either having an abortion or not, they cited that they will consider abortion if their parents, especially fathers and boyfriends, do not accept the pregnancy. The study also found that financial situation and age of a teenager may compel one to consider abortion. The study also found that teenagers are aware of the consequences of abortion. They cited the risk to life during and after pregnancy, while others believe the consequences are less severe as opposed to giving birth. Finally, the study also found the following barriers to abortion, peer pressure, lack of support for raising a child, and the cost of abortion can be a barrier. The study recommends that educating society about reproductive rights and offering platforms for open discussions about abortion can help reduce the moral pressure that often leads to feelings of moral conflicts and cognitive dissonance. Furthermore, social workers should advocate for broader access to reproductive health services and collaborate with healthcare providers to ensure teenage mothers receive accurate information and emotional support. Additionally, social workers can play a role in facilitating open communications within families and communities to lessen the stigma associated with abortion

This study aims to identify the factors that favor the use of modern contraceptive methods in non-pregnant women who need to space or limit births. The analyzes were made using SPSS software (statistical package for social sciences) version 25. The data used in this publication comes from a TRAC survey on family planning carried out by the Family Health Association / Population Service international (ASF / PSI) in DRC. Continuously Tracking Results surveys are knowledge surveys, attitudes, and practices of women in matters of family planning but with the introduction of questions on scales as mentioned above. This survey concerned 1965 women aged 15 to 49 selected in urban and peri-urban areas of the provincial city of Kinshasa. Our results show that the discussion between partner or spouse on the use of modern contraceptive methods positively influences the majority of women (OR = 4.28; p <0.001),being part of a social norm (OR = 3.30; p <0.01) and having a high socioeconomic level (OR = 2.54; p <0.01), also favor positively the use of modern contraceptives. The paper concludes that any effort to increase contraceptive prevalence should target attitude, level of knowledge of methods, and spousal support to optimize the use of modern contraception in the city of Kinshasa.

This study explores the views of teenage mothers regarding abortions of unexpected pregnancies at the village of Elim, Makhado Municipality in Limpopo Province. The study employed a qualitative approach, which recognizes the need for an in-depth exploration of these views using semi-structured, open-ended interviews. Snowball sampling was used to recruit five female participants between the ages of 15 and 19 years old. Furthermore, the researcher utilized the ecological systems framework to evaluate the context in which these teenage mothers’ function and how their perceptions regarding abortions are constructed over time based on their systems. The data was analyzed thematically, and interpretations were made based on the themes of the collected data. The study found that teenagers shared mixed feelings associated with considering abortion. Others consider having an abortion to be bad and good, while others say they will consider abortion if they become pregnant while not ready. Regarding the influences of either having an abortion or not, they cited that they will consider abortion if their parents, especially fathers and boyfriends, do not accept the pregnancy. The study also found that financial situation and age of a teenager may compel one to consider abortion. The study also found that teenagers are aware of the consequences of abortion. They cited the risk to life during and after pregnancy, while others believe the consequences are less severe as opposed to giving birth. Finally, the study also found the following barriers to abortion, peer pressure, lack of support for raising a child, and the cost of abortion can be a barrier. The study recommends that educating society about reproductive rights and offering platforms for open discussions about abortion can help reduce the moral pressure that often leads to feelings of moral conflicts and cognitive dissonance. Furthermore, social workers should advocate for broader access to reproductive health services and collaborate with healthcare providers to ensure teenage mothers receive accurate information and emotional support. Additionally, social workers can play a role in facilitating open communications within families and communities to lessen the stigma associated with abortion

Unplanned pregnancies among female undergraduate & postgraduate students at higher education institution pose severe public health issue in South Africa (SA) and are also linked to bad health and social consequences that have a detrimental influence on academic advancement and future employment opportunities. The number of unplanned pregnancies among students at higher education institutions continues to rise, despite the government introduction of contraceptives and other preventative methods. Thus, the objective of this study was aimed at explore factors that contribute to unplanned pregnancies among students in higher institution of learning The study adopted non-empirical research, in which existing literature on factors that contributes to unplanned pregnancies among students in higher education institutions. This paper is solely based on a review and analysis of published research and data. The findings of this study indicate that peer pressure, contraceptive uptake, and substance abuse contribute to unplanned pregnancies among students at higher education institution. Peer pressure and inconsistent contraceptive usage are the two interdependent factors that significantly impact unplanned pregnancies at higher education institutions. However, it seems that the lack of sexual knowledge makes these problems worse. The paper notes factors such as peer pressure, contraceptive uptake, and substance abuse that contribute to unplanned pregnancies among students at higher education institutions. The paper recommends adopting policies that emphasize sexual abstinence or the use of contraceptives inclusive of condoms and the government to introduce a long-term injectable contraceptive.

This study aims to identify the factors that favor the use of modern contraceptive methods in non-pregnant women who need to space or limit births. The analyzes were made using SPSS software (statistical package for social sciences) version 25. The data used in this publication comes from a TRAC survey on family planning carried out by the Family Health Association / Population Service international (ASF / PSI) in DRC. Continuously Tracking Results surveys are knowledge surveys, attitudes, and practices of women in matters of family planning but with the introduction of questions on scales as mentioned above. This survey concerned 1965 women aged 15 to 49 selected in urban and peri-urban areas of the provincial city of Kinshasa. Our results show that the discussion between partner or spouse on the use of modern contraceptive methods positively influences the majority of women (OR = 4.28; p <0.001),being part of a social norm (OR = 3.30; p <0.01) and having a high socioeconomic level (OR = 2.54; p <0.01), also favor positively the use of modern contraceptives. The paper concludes that any effort to increase contraceptive prevalence should target attitude, level of knowledge of methods, and spousal support to optimize the use of modern contraception in the city of Kinshasa.