A qualitative investigation into perspectives and experiences of motherhood: a study of university students in Durban.

Abstract

Early childbearing is one of the problems facing the world today. South Africa is no exception to this problem, as a number of young girls are becoming mothers at a very young age. Although South Africa’s fertility rate has declined over the years, early childbearing remains high. The lack of contraceptive use is one of the leading reasons for early childbearing. South Africa is also one of the countries with a high prevalence of HIV especially among youth. However, this does not prevent young people from engaging in unprotected sex. The aim of this study is to shed insights into the perspectives and experiences of young mothers who are also university students. Data collection was done through face-to-face interviews. Twenty African women aged 18 to 24 years were recruited for this study. This study specifically focused on student mother who are raising their children by themselves. Findings suggest that juggling motherhood, while studying is not easy and it can have negative impacts on the academic performance of student mothers especially if they lack social support. One of the major problems faced by these young mothers is lack of time. Most of their time is spent traveling to and from school, taking care of their children after school and doing house chores. Most young mothers voiced that there is not enough time to focus on their studies; as a result, their academic progress is negatively affected. Student mothers who receive support from their families are however coping. Young people need to be taught about sexual reproductive health at a young age because some of them become mothers at a young age. There should be interventions and these interventions should include male youth because they also form part of the problem.