Sexuality education is key to addressing adolescent pregnancies in Tanzania; a cross-sectional study and content analysis of vital national reports

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Abstract Background Tanzania is among the countries with higher rates of adolescent pregnancy. In some parts of the country, 45% of teenage girls become pregnant before their nineteenth birthday; and the strategies to alleviate the situation remain partially understood. The current study aimed to assess the knowledge level of adolescents on sexuality issues and the factors contributing to teenage pregnancy, as well as the progress made by Tanzania in addressing this problem. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on students from four randomly selected secondary schools in Morogoro municipality; an area with a high rate of adolescent pregnancy in Tanzania. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Qualitative data from the study and data from the Demographic Health Surveys and Household Budget Surveys were analyzed by content analysis. Results Among the 250 respondents, 83.6% (n = 209) were in the age group 13–18 years and the rest (16.4%) were 19 + years. Most (96%, n = 240) mentioned that adolescent pregnancy is more common in poor societies, and 73.6% (n = 190) cited a lack of knowledge of reproductive health as a major contributing factor. More than 55% did not know any other method of contraception, apart from a male condom. Only 41.6% of female and 18.8% of male respondents correctly knew about the day of ovulation. From content analysis, it was revealed that girls’ enrolment declines from 50% of the total in primary education to 30% of the total students’ enrolment in colleges and universities. The overall teenage pregnancy rate in the country increased by 4 percentage points; from 23% in 2010 to 27% in 2016. Conclusions Adolescent girls in Tanzania are less empowered because they lack comprehensive sexuality education, hence, the higher rates of adolescent pregnancy. Introducing age-appropriate sexuality education and increasing girls’ enrolment in secondary and tertiary education will significantly reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy.

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