Online Reporter
Mkhululi Ncube and Robin Muchetu in Lupane
The National Aids Council (NAC) has raised concern over the rise in teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among girls aged 15–19 in St Paul’s Ward, Lupane District, Matabeleland North Province.
This comes despite the district recording a decline in HIV incidence and prevalence rates.
Speaking during a media tour in the district yesterday, NAC Lupane District Programme Assistant, Miss Thandolwenkosi Vela, said the rise in teenage pregnancies and STIs is worrying.
“We have noticed an increase in STI cases and pregnancies among girls in the 15–19 age group in this ward. Last year, we recorded 66 cases of teenage pregnancies in this age group, and this year, we already have 69 before the end of the year. The STI cases also increased from 24 in 2024 to 50 this year,” she said.
Miss Vela attributed the surge to the “bush boarding” facilities used by learners near a local boarding school, where some students live unsupervised due to financial challenges faced by their parents.
“With a nearby shopping centre, the learners engage in risky behaviour, leading to some of them falling pregnant or contracting STIs. They try to meet their needs, which forces them into these relationships, and most are not able to negotiate for safe sex,” she said.
Despite the rise in teenage pregnancies and STIs, Lupane District has seen a drop in HIV prevalence from 18.54 percent in 2024 to 15.5 percent this year.
NAC is implementing the Sista2Sista programme in the district, where trained mentors educate adolescent girls and young women on HIV prevention and income-generating projects to help them avoid risky behaviour.
