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=The startling statistics of teenage pregnancy=

Teenage pregnancy has been cited as a constraint in the elimination of gender inequalities in education and in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals of universal primary education and gender equality in education by 2015. A recent survey conducted by a leading international organization, Save the Children, revealed that annually 13 million children are born to women below the age of 20.The survey found that Africa south of the Sahara has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the world. And it turns out that the biggest offender is sexual abuse of teenage girls by people who are supposed to be their guardians, including teachers, relatives, family friends and neighbors. Other factors that might be overlooked, especially in developing countries such as those in Southern Africa, are the influences of the traditional and the new media along with related social media. The portrayed and glorified way sex is portrayed in the media and the lack of appropriate sex education starting from home are some of the contributing factors to the high rates of teen pregnancy in our region. In Africa, where the saying “when you educate a woman you educate a nation” holds so true, the consequences of girls dropping out of school due to pregnancy cannot be underestimated. The social benefits of educating women include improved agricultural productivity, improved health and reduction in infant and child mortality. Data from Namibia’s Ministry of Education reveals a steady increase in the rate of teenage pregnancy across the country for the past four years, with the Kavango Region consistently topping the list since 2008. In second place is Ohangwena, followed by Omusati Region in third. More than 350 cases of teenage pregnancies were recorded in Kavango in 2008. This increased to 382 in 2009 and further to 390 in 2010. A summary report on teenage pregnancy in the Kavango Region for the first quarter of 2011 revealed that 119 schoolgirls dropped out of school between January and April that year after they fell pregnant. According to media reports last year – out of the 119 pregnant girls, three were in Grade 4, twelve in Grade 5 while ten were in Grade 6.Ohangwena Region recorded 294 teenage pregnancies in 2008, 286 in 2009 and 231 in 2010. In Omusati, there were 165 teenage pregnancies in 2008, 254 in 2009 and 238 in 2010; while Omaheke recorded fewer cases of teenage pregnancies during the same period. Information from the Education Ministry also shows that in 2008, more than 1 400 students dropped out of school because of pregnancy countrywide. And these are just the official figures. The implications of these statistics and the state of affairs regarding sex education and attitudes towards sex are huge within the context of combating the spread of the AIDS pandemic.