BackgroundSexuality plays a very significant role in the lives of both boys and girls. It is, therefore, considered important for schools to recognise and accept sexuality as part of the development process of the child. Professor Kader Asmal (previous South African Minister of Education) suggested that the earlier the school begins to teach learners about sexuality, the better because they can be easily misled by their peers if proper guidance regarding their sexuality is not given.AimThe current study was conducted to assess the awareness of teenagers on the prevention of teenage pregnancy (TP) in six secondary school learners situated in the Soutpansberg-West circuit, Makhado Municipality in Limpopo province.SettingThe study was conducted at six secondary schools situated in the Soutpansberg-West circuit, Makhado Municipality in Limpopo province in 2014.MethodologyA quantitative descriptive survey study was conducted where data were collected, using self-administered questionnaires, from 381 systematically sampled participants from six secondary schools situated in the Soutpansberg-West circuit, Makhado Municipality in Limpopo province. Data were analysed descriptively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 22.0. Necessary approval procedures and ethical clearance were obtained prior to data collection.ResultsNinety-four percent of participants agreed that TP can be prevented through abstaining from sex, whilst 65% of participants agreed that TP could be prevented by using contraceptives such as pills and injections. Eighty-three percent of participants agreed that TP could be prevented through the use of condoms. Seventy-four percent participants disagreed that bathing after sex prevents teenage pregnancies. Furthermore, 28% participants agreed that TP can be prevented by oral sex.ConclusionThe conclusion drawn was that learners are aware of the measures for preventing TP.

Transiting from rural high school to university is stressful enough, but enrolling into a suitable degree programme is even more demanding in this era of heightened competition for places at institutions of higher learning. Thus, the purpose of this study was to find out how rural high school leavers get admitted to tertiary institutions and how they go about choosing their degrees. A phenomenological qualitative design strategy was adopted for this research. This methodology facilitated the exploration of rural first year students’ adaptation experiences at university and it also facilitated the highlighting of some of the issues affecting them in getting a place for tertiary studies. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for the study which was coupled with focus-group interviews for data collection while thematic content analysis was used to determine the transitional experiences of the participating students. The results of this study indicate that there is hardship in getting into a suitable degree programme and this is more dominant among learners from rural areas than among those from urban areas. The study further revealed that challenges such as limited spaces in higher institutions, not meeting minimum selection requirements as well as economic challenges are more widespread among learners from rural areas. It is envisaged that the findings of the study will assist University Faculties and Heads of Departments to better understand the transitional experiences of rural school leavers.