More than 176 000 teenagers got pregnant in South Africa in 2013. Shockingly, of these girls, 2903 were only 13 years old. These alarming figures were gleaned by Stats SA from responses to a questionnaire given to girls who were asked, among other things, whether they had been pregnant during the 12 months before the survey.According to the Department of Health, there were 72891 deliveries by girls under the age of 18 from April 2012 to March 2013.story_article_left1Last year, at least 3858 pregnant teenagers visited the pregnancy counselling centre Africa Cares for Life, which has 67 branches across South Africa. Some 1094 visited its centres between January and April this year.Fatima House in Pretoria North, a home for pregnant teenagers, confirmed this week that it received 12 calls and e-mails daily from girls aged 12 to 18 requesting assistance.Sister Lydicia Letlaka said they received a further three calls a day from distressed teenagers inquiring about abortions.She said they were inundated with requests from girls wanting accommodation so that they could study at Hospital School Pretoria, which caters especially for pregnant girls.In a heart-wrenching e-mail, a teenager, who is 20 weeks pregnant, this week asked Letlaka if she could assist her with accommodation from next month.Another desperate teenager, also looking for accommodation, said the father of her unborn baby did not want to have anything to do with her.Sharon Rushton, founder and director of Life Link Pregnancy Crisis Centre, said they saw at least two pregnant teenagers three mornings a week.She said that about half of the schoolgirls returned to school after giving birth because of the support they received from parents, the school and her centre.However, Rushton said: "We are concerned about the lack of contraception use."Many of the biological fathers of the babies are absent and do not take responsibility for their actions and do not support the pregnant women. Many just disappear."Lauren da Rocha, the administration officer at Uitkoms Home for Girls in Johannesburg, said girls who had given birth were encouraged to complete their studies.mini_story_image_vleft1Three pregnant girls, whose average age was 16, were receiving home-schooling there."We encourage girls who have had their babies to carry on with their schooling so that they can become useful members of society," she said.Rina van Niekerk, headmistress of Hospital School Pretoria, said that 75 pregnant girls, including a 12-year-old, were enrolled at the school this year, which caters for pupils from grades 7 to 12.At least 21 pupils are in Grade 11 and 22 in matric.These pupils, who come there from mainstream schools, opt to study at Hospital School Pretoria during their pregnancy to escape the snide remarks and insults they often receive at their former schools.Of the 46 who wrote matric last year, 37 passed, with 10 of them qualifying for university admission.Joe Maila, spokesman for the Department of Health, said the issue of teenage pregnancy was not "just about numbers", and pointed out that "there are people who are not using condoms".Maila said the department had launched new "Choice" condoms, which are scented, in response to a call by sexually active young people "who lamented that the Choice condom doesn't smell cool".story_article_right2He confirmed that there were 98005 abortions at state facilities last year, adding that the department did not have statistics of the ages of those who opted for abortions.Andrea Thompson, of Marie Stopes South Africa, said several factors played a role in early and unintended pregnancies, including pressure from male partners, limited access to contraception and safe abortion services."Young women are often stigmatised for being sexually active despite one in three adolescents reporting their first act of intercourse as being non-consensual. The burden and blame of unintended pregnancy during teenage years is unfairly placed on girls."She said girls aged between 15 and 19 comprised 4% of their clients last year."We do not see a huge demand for abortion services among adolescents in our centres. We have no statistics on backstreet abortions, which are very likely to target young women who may be afraid to seek out a safe service."sub_head_start Looking after baby, and the books sub_head_endNicole van Nieuwenhuizen was ecstatic when she saw her half-year results on Friday.The 18-year-old matric pupil bagged distinctions in tourism, business studies and life orientation and scored top marks in geography, English and Afrikaans.But what made her achievement even more special was that she had to juggle her time between taking care of her 10-month-old baby girl, Miané, and her studies.Van Nieuwenhuizen, who has set her sights on becoming a teacher, is among 64 teen moms and pregnant pupils studying at the unique Hospital School in Pretoria.Commenting on how she became pregnant, the former pupil from Wonderboom Hoërskool in Pretoria said: "It just happened. It was our first time. ... the next thing I knew I was pregnant."She broke off the relationship with the father of her baby, a karate instructor whom she had known from the age of four. "He just changed. He threatened to take my baby away from me."But he is paying R700 a month for the baby's upkeep and is allowed to see her for an hour every week.Two of Van Nieuwenhuizen's friends abandoned her after they heard she was pregnant.full_story_image_hleft2Her father, who had high hopes for her, was "shocked and disappointed" when she told him she was pregnant.Said the young mother: "I made a mistake, but she's [her baby] not a mistake. She's a gift from God. She's precious; she's brought so much love and light into our lives. She's amazing."Six weeks after giving birth, Van Nieuwenhuizen continued with her dancing lessons. She said she loved disco, hip-hop, ballet and jazz. The bubbly teenager said she breast-fed her baby up until she was five months old.Her message to other teenagers: "Don't plan to get pregnant, but if you do, take responsibility for it."Van Nieuwenhuizen said the thought of having an abortion never crossed her mind because, according to her, that would be murder.Her father, Len, said that although he had been upset at first, he had come to accept that he was now a grandfather. "She's my blue-eyed girl," he said proudly.govenderp@sundaytimes.co.za..