Pregnant learners’ sexual rights: A constitutional perspective

Abstract

In 2001 the South African Department of Health estimated the mean age for sexual debut to be 15 years for girls and 14 years for boys. In 2007, however, Berry and Hall claim that, by the end of their childhood (at 18 years), 42% of South African girls and 63% of boys have had sex. Of these, 6% of girls and 12% of boys will have had sex before their fifteenth birthday. One thing is clear from the statistics above: a substantial number of girls will have their first experience of sexual intercourse while still at school. There are thus a considerable number of girl learners at risk of falling pregnant.