Moral challenges in handling pregnant school adolescents in Tanga municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

Background. In Tanzania, ~8 000 girls drop out of school as a result of pregnancy every year, and it has been reported that this group is faced with discrimination. Mishandling of pregnant adolescents may be one of the factors for this discrimination, and may lead them to opt for risky actions such as unsafe abortions, abandonment of newborns and even suicide. Objectives. To explore the moral challenges in handling pregnant school adolescents in Tanga municipality, Tanzania. Methods. This was an exploratory study that used purposive sampling and qualitative methods of data collection. Content analysis methods were used to identify themes from data scripts. Results. A total of 21 participants were involved, including teachers, parents/guardians, community leaders and religious scholars. Three main themes were identified: parents’ decisions on the fate of pregnant school adolescents; education policy and laws with regards to school pregnancy cases; and discrimination in handling pregnant school adolescents. Conclusion. From the findings of this study, it is concluded that there are moral challenges in handling pregnant school adolescents as a result of implementing education policy, laws and community culture that breach bioethical principles. The study recommends that the government revise the current education regulations to eliminate gender discrimination and promote equality in education.