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Abstract Background Pregnancy and childbearing in adolescence could negatively affect girls’ health and socio-economic wellbeing across the life course. Previous studies on drivers of adolescent pregnancy in Africa have not fully considered the perspectives of parents/guardians vis-à-vis pregnant and parenting adolescents. Our study addresses this gap by examining pregnant and parenting adolescents’ and parents/guardians’ narratives about factors associated with early and unintended pregnancy. Methodology The descriptive study draws on qualitative data collected as part of a larger mixed-methods cross-sectional survey on the lived experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescents. Data were collected between March and May 2021 in Blantyre, Malawi, using semi-structured interview guides. We interviewed 18 pregnant and parenting adolescent girls, 10 parenting adolescent boys, and 16 parents/guardians of pregnant and parenting adolescents. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim into the English language by bilingual transcribers. We used the inductive-thematic analytical approach to summarize the data. Findings The data revealed several interconnected and structural reasons for adolescents’ vulnerability to early and unintended pregnancy. These include adolescents’ limited knowledge and access to contraceptives, poverty, sexual violence, school dropout, COVID-19 school closures, and being young and naively engaging in unprotected sex. While some parents agreed that poverty and school dropout or COVID-19 related school closure could lead to early pregnancies, most considered stubbornness, failure to adhere to abstinence advice and peer influence as responsible for adolescent pregnancies. Conclusion Our findings contribute to the evidence on the continued vulnerability of girls to unintended pregnancy. It highlights how parents and adolescents hold different views on reasons for early and unintended pregnancy, and documents how divergent views between girls and their parents may contribute to the lack of progress in reducing adolescent childbearing. Based on these findings, preventing unintended pregnancies will require altering community attitudes about young people’s use of contraceptives and engaging parents, education sector, civil society organizations and community and religious leaders to develop comprehensive sexuality education programs to empower in- and out-of school adolescents.

Abstract Background Despite efforts from the government and developmental partners to eliminate gender-based violence, intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a pervasive global health and human rights problem, affecting up to 753 million women and girls globally. Few studies on IPV have focused on pregnant and parenting adolescent (PPA) girls in Africa, although the region has the highest rates of adolescent childbearing. This limited attention results in the neglect of pregnant and parenting adolescents in policies and interventions addressing IPV in the region. Our study examined IPV prevalence and its individual, household, and community-level correlates among pregnant and parenting adolescent girls (10–19 years) in Blantyre District, Malawi. Methods We collected data from a cross-section of pregnant and parenting adolescent girls (n = 669) between March and May 2021. The girls responded to questions on socio-demographic and household characteristics, lifetime experience of IPV (i.e., sexual, physical, and emotional violence), and community-level safety nets. We used multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression models to examine the individual, household, and community-level factors associated with IPV. Results The lifetime prevalence of IPV was 39.7% (n = 266), with more girls reporting emotional (28.8%) than physical (22.2%) and sexual (17.4%) violence. At the individual level, girls with secondary education (AOR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.16–2.54), who engaged in transactional sex (AOR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.35–3.89), and accepted wife-beating (AOR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.27–3.08) were significantly more likely to experience IPV compared to those with no education/primary education, who never engaged in transactional sex and rejected wife beating. Girls aged 19 (AOR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27–0.87) were less likely to report IPV than those aged 13–16. At the household level, girls with fair and poor partner support had higher odds of experiencing IPV, but the effect size did not reach a significant level in the parsimonious model. A high perception of neighborhood safety was associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing IPV (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.69–0.95). Conclusion Intimate partner violence is rife among pregnant and parenting adolescent girls in Malawi, underscoring the need for appropriate interventions to curb the scourge. Interventions addressing IPV need to target younger adolescents, those engaging in transactional sex, and those having weaker community-level safety nets. Interventions to change social norms that drive the acceptance of gender-based violence are also warranted.

Plain English Summary Pregnant and parenting adolescents are at a higher risk of poor mental health. If unaddressed or untreated, the consequences may be dire throughout an individual’s life. About one in four girls start childbearing before their 19th birthday in Africa. Most of these pregnancies are unintended or unplanned and occur outside wedlock, bringing untoward disruption to every facet of the girl’s life. The burden of early parenthood and the stigma of starting childbearing too early and outside wedlock can affect the mental wellness of girls. Yet only a few studies have focused on understanding the burden and drivers of poor mental health among pregnant and parenting girls. Our study contributes to the research on depression among pregnant and parenting girls, highlighting its burden and individual, family, and community drivers. We conducted this study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Blantyre, Malawi, between March and September 2021. A total of 980 and 669 pregnant and parenting girls were recruited into this study in Burkina and Malawi. Our analysis shows that 18.8% and 14.5% of pregnant and parenting girls in Burkina Faso and Malawi, respectively, had probable depression. Depression symptoms was higher when girls were older than 17 years, suffered violence from their partners, their partners denied paternity, received no support from their partners and parents, lived in violent neighborhoods, and had no support system in the community. We conclude that depression is high among pregnant and parenting girls. It necessitates screening them for depression during antenatal and postnatal care visits. To effectively address depression among these girls, interventions must canvass support at the family and community levels.

Introduction: despite universal efforts, child marriages still occur worldwide. However, not all child marriage unions last, and little is known about how such marriages end. Most critically, there is little information on what happens to young mothers when child marriage unions dissolve. This paper explores the experiences of adolescent mothers who were in child marriages in the cultural context of central Malawi. Methodology: using qualitative methods, data was collected in two districts in central Malawi. One focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted with key community members (n=14) and three FGD, guided by an unstandardized interview guide, were conducted with adolescent mothers aged 15-22 years (n=15). The FGD with adolescent mothers were conducted in three groups, ranging from three to nine participants per group. In addition to this, a key informant interview was conducted with a community leader who is traditionally recognized as paramount chief (n=1). The data was analysed using a content analysis. The study applied the concept of ‘doing gender’ by West and Zimmerman (1987) in the analysis. Results: what emerged from the data is that adolescent mothers embodied fragmented identities that are changing over time given the influence of life events. Amid different combinations of roles, several identities were observed: mother, wife, young, adolescent, girl, married, unmarried, victim of child marriage, survivor of child marriage, unemployed, employed, re-enrolled student, and school dropout. While these identities changed, gender did not, thus the changing identifications provided displays for ‘doing gender’ under a diverse set of subjectivities. Expressions of power at the micro-level were demonstrated by adolescent mothers through ‘resilience vs. perseverance’. Conclusions: the study highlights that cultural sensitivity and responsiveness by traditional leaders, such as the chief, play a role in the empowering revisions of one’s identity by championing liberating life events through the termination of child marriage or access to girls’ education regardless of resistance.