Local Government
The eThekwini Municipality has responded to a call for confidential and age-appropriate health services.
To curb the alarming rise in teenage pregnancies and illegal abortions, eThekwini Municipality recently launched an adolescent and youth-friendly service at Pinetown Clinic.
The clinic is the first health facility in the eThekwini district to comply with the adolescent and youth-friendly service standards.
Health Unit Deputy Head Dr Busi Grootboom said the launch is the municipality’s response to issues that emanated from extensive research.
“The research we conducted revealed that young people wanted a welcoming and friendly facility, where they could drop in and be quickly attended to. They insisted on their privacy and confidentiality and did not want to seek parental permission to attend.
“Young people wanted services to be offered to them at a convenient time and they wanted staff to treat them with respect and not to judge them or lecture them,” said Dr Grootboom.
Deputy chairperson of the Durban Aids Council, Siyabonga Nzimande applauded the city, saying the facility is a step in the right direction.
“We have a school here in Pinetown that recorded over 30 pregnancies last year.
“Although this number is declining, it is still worrisome. We hope that with the youth-friendly services in this clinic, these numbers will decrease drastically,” said Nzimande.
Some of the adolescent and youth-friendly services that will be offered at the clinic include HIV education, diagnosis and testing as well as treatment, care and support; contraceptive education and provision with an emphasis on dual protection method; and pregnancy testing, antenatal and postnatal care.
*Simphiwe Dlamini works for the eThekwini Municipality.
Source: www.durban.gov.za
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