Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
STAKEHOLDERS have said there is a need for safe spaces where teenagers can access family planning reproductive health and HIV testing services in order to prevent teenage pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) which are on the increase.
The Zimbabwe Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) Gwanda clinic handled 44 STI cases during the first week of April among youths aged 15 and 24 years.
From January to March the clinic recorded 109 STI cases among youths.
Sister in charge of the ZNFPC Clinic in Matabeleland South, Ms Leth Sibanda said more children aged between 15 and 19 years were now sexually active.
Ms Sibanda said as a result there was a spike in teenage pregnancies and STI infections among teenagers.
“Teenagers are not as forthcoming to access family planning services compared to the other age groups hence the increased teenage pregnancies and STI infections.
The teenagers need their privacy and confidentiality so there is a need for facilities tailor made for them,” she said.
Ms Sibanda said when it comes to children below 14 years, the policies are still unclear regarding accessing family planning services yet they are indulging in sex.
She said teenage pregnancies will be drastically reduced if teeenagers access family planning services.
Ms Sibanda said they have cadres who were moving around communities offering family planning services such as distribution of condoms but teenagers were not forthcoming.
She said the same teenagers shunning family planning services were idle most of the time hence ended up indulging in sex.
Ms Sibanda said once many of the teenagers access family planning services, teenage pregnancies and STI infections among teenagers will be reduced.
ZNFPC Matabeleland South provincial marketing and communications officer, Ms Nokuthula Mlotshwa said they were conducting outreach programmes in hard to reach areas so that everyone has access to sexual reproductive health services.
She said the services they offer include STI screening and treatment, HIV testing and counselling, cervical cancer screening and family planning services.
Ms Mlotshwa said during their outreach programmes they also target resettlement areas and small scale mines among other areas.
“We are working with various partners to ensure members of the public access health care services considering that our province has high HIV prevalence rate. We are also focusing on adolescents and young women because statistics show that they are at high risk of teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortions, child marriages and maternal mortality,” she said.
Ms Mlothswa said teenagers were ashamed of accessing family planning services like collecting condoms in public out of fear of being reprimanded by elders.
She said there was a need for communities to be sensitised in order to change people’s mindset and ensure teenagers freely access family planning services.
Matabeleland South National Aids Council (Nac) provincial manager, Mr Isaiah Abureni said the rise in STI cases was a major concern as it could lead to an increase in HIV cases.
He said as part of efforts to educate public on HIV transmission they had rolled out a peer model where they identify an influencer who educates fellow peers.
Mr Abureni said this method was very effective especially with sex workers, long distance truck drivers and artisanal miners as some of them were not willing to interact with strangers.
He said they first educate the influencer who then goes on to educate fellow peers. Mr Abureni said night spots were some of the HIV transmission hotspots. He said they also have moonlight activities where they distribute condoms and educate long distance truck drivers at night. – @DubeMatutu.
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