Factors influencing youth pregnancies: the case study of Masasi district

The rate of youth pregnancy in Tanzania is high especially in Masasi District. Youth in Masasi drop out of school and some die during delivery due to pregnancy despite the effort made by different organizations to reduce the problem. The general objective of this study was to investigate the factors influencing pregnancy rate among youth in Masasi District in Mtwara Region. The specific objectives were as follows: assess the factors influencing youth pregnancies, evaluate the use of modern contraceptives among youth in preventing pregnancies and examine the intervention measures of youth pregnancies in Masasi District, Mtwara Region.The study was held in Masasi District in Mtwara Region on December 2010. A sample of 266 female youth who were aged 15-24 years were drawn from Masasi District and were interviewed. The study was based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected by using two methods of data collection: qualitative and quantitative. A number of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-depth interviews were conducted for the qualitative part. On the other hand a self administered Questionnaire was done in four wards, namely, Masasi Urban, Nasindi, Chigugu, Temeke in Masasi District together the information. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 12.0 was used for data management and analysis. The results from this study show that traditional practices like unyago drama, played a big role in contributing to youths pregnancy in Masasi because these practices expose the young girls into sexual behaviours which lead to unplanned/unwanted pregnancies. Likewise youth’s pregnancy is still very high because many youth begin their sexual intercourse at young ages, and therefore they cannot negotiate for the contraceptives use. The results also reveal that the use of contraceptives during their first sexual intercourse is low. On one hand the data revealed that despite the knowledge that the respondents have about contraception, use of the same is very limited. Some of respondents reported that they do not use contraceptives because they fear the side effects. However the results show that about 28 percent of respondents did not know which part of their monthly cycle a woman is likely to conceive. Moreover, the percentages of the respondents who had the correct information about their reproductive health are very limited. The results also show that, youth continue practicing unsafe sex without the prior knowledge of changes in their bodies resulting into increased cases of youth pregnant. Based on these results it is recommended that future programs need to address these harmful traditional practices which are still practiced not only in Masasi District but also in other places like Zaramo and Makonde areas just to mention a few. Also there is a need to expand future programs or to increase knowledge on contraceptive use among youth in and out of school, whether married or unmarried and they should extensively address and encourage them to change their perceptions on pregnancy susceptibility and clear all misconceptions which arise over contraceptive use, particularly among youth aged 15-24 years.Specifically, more education/knowledge about reproductive health and right should be provided to youths in and out of school so that they can be aware of changes in their bodies and how to protect themselves during unsafe period (ovulation) to protect against unintended pregnancy. Promotion of husband’s involvement in communication and role of peer and service providers will be an important added value.