An exploration of the causes of student pregnancy and psychological stressors experienced by pregnant students at University of Venda, South Africa

• Main Authors: Valeria Baloyi, Kgaugelo Kganakga, Mpho Madzhie, Maphuti Chueng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2020-12-01
• Series: Cogent Psychology
• Subjects: pregnant unmarried students; psychological stressors; pregnancy-related stress; unplanned pregnancy
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2020.1863176

Student pregnancy is not only a growing concern in South Africa but also an international challenge which could result in disruptive tendencies such as substance abuse, prostitution and suicide. The aim of the current study was to explore the psychological stressors experienced by unmarried pregnant students at the University of Venda in South Africa. The study used a qualitative research design. The sample comprised 10 participants and data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews using an interview guide and analyzed by using thematic content analysis. Results indicated that students’ pregnancies were mainly influenced by students’ poor socio-economic status, peer pressure, lack of parent-student communication, ignorance as well as the negative attitude of the campus health-care professionals. Loneliness, emotional distress, difficulty in disclosing the pregnancy were the psychological stressors associated with students’ pregnancies. The current study confirmed that unplanned pregnancies are stressful for pregnant students in a situation where there is a lack of support.