The Gauteng Division of Well being has refuted claims that it intends to compel college women aged 12 years and above to obtain contraceptives with out their consent.
Based on studies, Gauteng Well being MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed this throughout a go to to Tshwane Secondary College earlier this month.
SCHOOL GIRLS WON’T BE FORCED TO TAKE CONTRACEPTIVES – GAUTENG HEALTH
The Gauteng Division of Well being stated throughout her go to to varsities, Nkomo-Ralehoko has emphasised the significance of sexual reproductive well being training and the position of parental involvement in discussions about the general well being of their youngsters.
Nkomo-Ralehoko highlighted that, simply as mother and father present consent for immunisation and different well being providers via the Built-in College Well being Programme (ISHP), they need to additionally pay attention to out there sexual and reproductive well being and rights providers, akin to a variety of contraceptive combine strategies, STI prevention, screening, and administration, which can be accessible to their younger ones.
These providers embody subdermal implants, a long-acting contraceptive, alongside different strategies akin to condom use and abstinence.
“It should be said categorically that the division has no intention, in any way, to compel women 12 years and above to obtain or to not obtain contraceptives with out their consent,” Gauteng Well being spokesperson Motalatale Modiba stated.
WHAT PROGRAMMES ARE THERE TO TACKLE TEENAGE PREGNANCY?
Modiba additionally outlined programmes and interventions the division below the management of MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko has been driving to sort out head-on the difficulty of teenage being pregnant and different social ills troubling younger folks and society typically.
Among the programmes embody Teenage Being pregnant Prevention Intervention Plan
Modiba stated recognising that teenage being pregnant stays a urgent societal problem, MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko has championed the event of the Teenage Being pregnant Prevention Intervention Plan which was launched on 30 April 2024.
The plan focuses on three key areas; advocacy and social mobilisation, behaviour change communication, and focused programmatic interventions.
Throughout the launch, the division revealed that the breakdown of teenage deliveries in services by the district through the 2022/23 interval reveals that Ekurhuleni District had the best variety of adolescent deliveries in services with 6 670, adopted by Johannesburg District with 6 069, Tshwane District with 4 858, while West Rand District had 1 729. Lastly, Sedibeng District had 1 429 teenage deliveries within the facility amongst 10- to 19-year-old women.
As well as, there was a rise in termination of pregnancies (TOP) in services amongst women aged 10 to 19. A complete of 24 941 deliveries and TOPs have been recorded in services throughout the province through the 2022/2023 interval. This knowledge reveals a rise of 496 instances in comparison with the 24 445 recorded within the earlier 12 months (2021/2022).
DO YOU THINK SCHOOL GIRLS SHOULD BE FORCED TO TAKE CONTRACEPTIVES TO PREVENT TEENAGE PREGNANCY?
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