Challenging prevalent sexual practices amongst black South African teenage girls leading to unwanted pregnancies : a Practical Theological Study

Abstract

The focus of the study is to challenge prevalent sexual practices amongst black South African teenage girls leading to unwanted pregnancies. In precolonial times teenage pregnancy and sex before marriage was rare amongst Africans. Nevertheless, modernity transformed the African values and morals and as such the rate of teenage pregnancy increased in alarming rates. As Africans became Christians it became a challenge to conform to biblical principles which were almost similar in the area of abstinence and no sex before marriage. The study engaged African and Christian way of life to detect where African teenagers went wrong. In addressing this problem, the study attempted to accomplish the following objectives: • To engage in an in-depth literature study of prevalent sexual practices amongst black South African teenage girls leading to unwanted pregnancies. • To investigate and articulate the mam reasons for the prevalent sexual practices amongst black South African teenage girls leading to unwanted pregnancies. • To articulate principles based on the African tradition and Christian texts for healthy sexual development and practices amongst black South African teenage girls to empower the church to challenge prevalent sexual practices. • To propose a strategy for pastoral guidance of youths and families within Christian African faith communities to challenge prevalent sexual practices amongst black South African teenage girls leading to unwanted pregnancies. As the study's main aim was to contribute to the field of practical theology and pastoral counselling and coaching, the interpretive model of Osmer was applied in a literature based approach. Another important aim was to contribute to the growing corpus of literature on contextualised pastoral care which is much needed within the African context. In this way it hopes to make a contribution to a theological approach which is cognisant of the African worldview