Early pregnancy forces many South African teenage girls to drop out of school or university, trapping them in a cycle of poverty and dependence on government assistance. There is also often a stigma to being a teenage mother, with many being excluded from their community or pushed into early marriage.

Aside from these external pressures, becoming a mother as a teenager can be incredibly stressful, as young girls are neither emotionally nor physically ready for the hardships it entails. As such, it is crucial to ensure that girls in South Africa are on some form of contraception, even if they are not yet sexually active. While a contraceptive won’t encourage girls to have sex, it will provide protection against pregnancy if and when they do engage in intercourse.