Is there a relationship between social grant and teenage fertility in South Africa? (WITHDRAWN)

Eric O Udjo, University of South Africa

Several studies have drawn attention to the negative consequences of teenage pregnancy. As part of its poverty alleviation programme, the South African Government offers child support grant to non-income and low-income earners who are single parents. The impact of the child support grant on fertility in South Africa has aroused interest in the last couple of years and sparked debate about increase in teenage fertility due to the child support grant yet no empirical evidence has been produced to establish this relationship. This study examines the relationship between social grant and teenage fertility in South Africa using the South Africa’s 2007 community survey. The analysis includes logistic regression to determine whether child support grant significantly increases the odds of teenage fertility. It is expected that the results of this study would shed light on the debate regarding the relationship of the child support grant and teenage pregnancy in South Africa.