Cape Town - One cannot be surprised at the high number of teenage pregnancies in South Africa without looking at and scrutinising how accessible sexual and reproductive health services are for young people.
This was the sentiment shared as more than 150 “health promoters”, part of Partners in Sexual Health (PSH), marched from the Castle of Good Hope to the Western Cape Legislature and the Civic Centre to hand over a memorandum of demands to Premier Alan Winde and mayor Geordin-Hill Lewis, on Tuesday.
Health Promoters are employed by PSH and tasked with providing information to young people within their communities on how to access services, prevent teenage pregnancies, and how to make safer lifestyle choices.
The sexual and reproductive health rights organisation was established in 2009 and primarily looks at interventions targeted at youth and adolescents.
PSH founder and CEO Patsy de Lora said despite creating awareness on the ground on available services at health facilities, when young people reach these facilities, they are prevented from accessing it as a result of stigma.
“We are demanding youth-friendly access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHRS) services and that is the core purpose of our march – to bring attention to it,” she said.
“The rate of teenage pregnancies is escalating. The increase now is about 34%. It is mindblowing and we need to do something about teenage pregnancy rates and the biggest concern for us is services.
“If these young people can get to family planning, we will reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies. We need to start something and we are starting with access to services.”
In the province, similar marches took place in Beaufort West and Elands Bay, as well as in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State.
Health promoter Carlynn Williams, 33, from Delft said: “We work in our communities trying to change the mindsets of the youth to make informed choices about the future.”
Provincial Health and Wellness Department said that from January 2023 to the end of June 3 997 teenage deliveries (aged 10–19) were recorded.
In 2022, 10 686 teenage deliveries were reported, 11 157 in 2021, and 11 690 in 2020.
Health promoter Mvana Billy Madotyeni, 29, from Khayelitsha, started working with the organisation in January.
“I teach them about gender-based violence and teenage pregnancies. I’m just sharing awareness. I tell boys that they must not have sex without protection because they will get STIs and other stuff.”
In the memorandum addressed to the premier, Health, Education, and Social Development MECs, the organisation called for drastic steps to address the unacceptably high levels of teenage pregnancies in the country.
These measures included: Youth sexual and reproductive health-friendly services at all primary healthcare facilities; all quantile 1-3 schools to have sexual and reproductive health services; urgent, immediate, and compulsory implementation of comprehensive sexuality education at all schools; psychosocial support for girls; policies on sexual and reproductive health and rights to be updated; universal provision of sanitary towels to all girls in schools; tougher sentences for perpetrators of statutory rape; and harsher and exemplary punishments for teachers responsible for learner pregnancies.
Spokesperson for Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo, Luke Albert confirmed receipt of the memorandum and that the office would tender a response within the 30 days, as requested.