With World Contraception Day being celebrated today, it is alarming that a significant information gap still exists in 60% of women aged 15 to 49.
This is according Dr Abofele Khoele, managing director of Organon South Africa, who said this day is important to highlight women’s right to make informed decisions on their sexual and reproductive health and improve awareness of contraception safety and options.
Organon South Africa is a global healthcare company committed to educating and raising awareness on contraception to ensure that women make informed choices.
Although more than 60% of women between 15 and 49 years use contraception methods, Khoele said stigma persists about contraception, which means many other women are not comfortable or empowered to take control of their reproductive decisions and health.
“At the end of the day, the best contraception method is one that a woman will use correctly and consistently,” said Khoele.
The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) has also called on the youth and women to take advantage of services offered by pharmacists to prevent unintended pregnancies.
“Pharmacists offer more than the expert advice on medicines and care for minor ailments that patients have become accustomed to. They are an access point for primary health care, contraception, and other reproductive health services including emergency contraception,” said Mogologolo Phasha, president of the SAPC.
Phasha decried the fact that children as young as 14 years old became mothers to over 2 600 newborns while teenagers between 15 and 19 gave birth to more than 91 000 babies in 2020.
Many other teenagers are also contributing to the rising cases of HIV/Aids. The number of persons living with HIV/Aids is estimated to have increased by at least 200 000 between 2021 and 2022.
Vincent Tlala, SAPC registrar/CEO, urged young people to seek both guidance and pharmaceutical care concerning the prevention of sexually transmitted illnesses from local pharmacies or other healthcare establishments.
“Pharmacies provide a host of healthcare and family planning services, including the prevention of sexually transmitted illnesses and unplanned pregnancies, among many others,” said Tlala.
There are different types of contraception that women can use to prevent unwanted pregnancies:
- Condoms
- Oral contraceptive pill
- Intrauterine device
- Contraceptive injection
- Emergency contraceptive pill, commonly known as the morning-after pill
- Sterilisation
- Patch
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