Expériences, perceptions, facteurs contributifs à la sexualité précoce chez les élèves mères et leurs implications pour la santé reproductive dans les écoles catholiques et protestantes de la ville de Kalemie, Tanganyika/RDC

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the experiences of student mothers and their perceptions of early sexuality in Catholic and Protestant schools, by identifying contributing factors and their implications for education and reproductive health. Using a qualitative and exploratory approach, the study is based on non-probabilistic sampling (convenience and snowball techniques) involving student mothers from various religious institutions. The results reveal that 59.6% of participants experienced significant school rejection, and 31.64% felt isolated by their peers. More than half of the respondents reported insufficient family support, as well as a lack of support from teachers, which negatively affected their reintegration into school. Motherhood is widely perceived as a major source of stress (67.42%), financial hardship (78.8%), and school dropout (54.54%). The girls identified poverty (56.6%), lack of family dialogue (58.8%), peer pressure (69%), and religious norms (72.72%) as key contributors to early sexuality. Nevertheless, they expressed strong support for the involvement of religious leaders (74.49%), better sexual guidance in schools (60.6%), and the use of contraception (72.72%).Views on abortion were divided, with 54% opposed to recommending it. In conclusion, the lived experiences of these student mothers—marked by rejection, stigma, and resilience—represent a valuable resource for rethinking educational strategies related to reproductive health. Their perspectives can and should be actively included in awareness-raising, prevention efforts, and the development of tailored programs, involving them as agents of change among their peers, in order to promote a more realistic, inclusive, and preventive sexual education within faith-based schools.