Browsing by Author "Kilima, Stella Peter"

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    Conditions influencing premarital teenage pregnancies in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam region: a case study of two clinics in Ilala district
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2007) Kilima, Stella Peter
    This study dealt with conditions influencing premarital teenage pregnancies. Self-administered questionnaires were given to a sample of 84 teenage girls who became mothers and 24 teenage girls who became mothers were engaged in in-depth interviews. All respondents provided data for the study. Along with high proportion of teenage pregnancies, only a few teenagers who became mothers have enough knowledge on reproductive health. Findings answered the research question on how low level of knowledge on reproductive health may influence premarital teenage pregnancies. Furthermore, the findings answered the research question on how socio-economic status of households may influence premarital pregnancies. However, there was a contradiction between awareness and practice. It was evident through denial of pregnancy prevention methods based on mistrust and, or side effects of the methods. Negative views prevailed against pregnancy prevention that have led to low level of practices. Again, such practices were significantly influenced by young people’s socio-economic backgrounds despite their awareness. As much as this frustrates, little has been achieved in changing their sexual behaviors, especially with low utilization. Therefore, there is a need to revisit conventional values on sexuality and linked perspectives including actions, critical contextualization of association factors influencing use or non-use and harnessing all possible alternatives of pregnancy prevention especially condom use. Also, there is a need for recurrent informed studies aimed at understanding young people’s sexuality and thus, contain the problem of premarital pregnancies.