There are serious health risks associated with teenage pregnancy and these can be expected in all social contexts. The likelihood
of teenage parents to produce unhealthy babies is high, because their bodies are, themselves, still developing (Meeks et al, 1999). A pregnant teen is at risk of developing anemia and
toxemia of pregnancy. While anemia is a condition in which the oxygen-carrying pigment is below normal, toxemia of pregnancy is a disorder that is characterised by high blood pressure, tissue swelling, and protein content in the urine (Meeks et al, 1999). If the toxemia of pregnancy is severe, it can lead to seizures and coma (Meeks, 1999). Also, health habits of teen fathers determine the quality of the hereditary material of the sperm (Meeks et al, 1999). Poor lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcohol and other substance abuses are common in most teen fathers, can damage sperms (Meeks et al, 1999).
The social risks of teenage pregnancy include inadequate parenting skills, and the inability to attend school (Meek et al, 1999). This was confirmed within the South African context, where it was found that young parenthood have immediate and long-term disadvantages for young women. Most women drop-out of school with intensions to return, but are unable to do so when there is no one to look after their babies (Nelson Mandela
Foundation, 2005). Those who succeeded to return to school find it difficult to concentrate as they spend most of their time thinking about their plight (Nelson Mandela Foundation, 2005). Child support grants have created tensions within families that have little or no other source of income, and cases where parents forcefully take the money from teen parents, were reported (Nelson Mandela Foundation, 2005). In addition to the tensions within families, the benefits of receiving a grant were often offset by the additional hardships that a baby imposes on a teenage mother (Nelson Mandela Foundation, 2005).