An unintended or unplanned pregnancy is when you fall pregnant without meaning to. Often, an unplanned pregnancy is also an unwanted one. If you are having sex but you are not ready to have a baby, it’s very important that you always use contraception (birth control). This will stop you from getting pregnant. If you don’t use contraceptives properly even just once – you could fall pregnant.

What is contraception?

There are a few different types of contraception but they all have one thing in common, they help to stop you from getting pregnant! Many people also choose to delay having sex until they are older as a way of not falling pregnant. This is called abstaining. There are many boys and girls that have decided to abstain from sex even when there is a lot of pressure to have sex. It’s both the boy and the girl’s responsibility to make sure a girl doesn’t get pregnant.

What is family planning?

Family planning is when your clinic helps you and your partner decide how many children you want to have and when and how to deal with infertility (not being able to fall pregnant).

Preventing pregnancy is the job of both partners. But if you don’t work together to prevent it, it is the girl who carries the burden of the unintended pregnancy.

If you find you are pregnant and it is unintended you do still have choices. You can consider a formal or informal adoption, keep the baby, or discuss a termination with your clinic. Find out your family planning options at government health facilities, Banja Lamtsogolo or Blue star clinics.