The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has recently issued a clarifying statement amid rising concerns surrounding teenage pregnancy initiatives.
The commentary stemmed from reported remarks made by the MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, during a school visit that inadvertently sparked controversy over a purported proposal to administer contraceptives to schoolgirls aged 12 and above without parental consent.
Spokesperson for the GDoH, Motalatale Modiba, firmly stated that Nkomo-Ralehoko had been misquoted.
“It is crucial for the public to understand that we are not in the business of forcing treatment on minors,” the department asserted.
This response came after educational activist Hendrick Makaneta and others voiced their apprehensions regarding the remarks, calling for urgent clarification from the department.
During her recent school visit, which was part of the Back-to-School campaign, Nkomo-Ralehoko underscored the importance of sexual and reproductive health education, highlighting the role of parental involvement in these matters.
“Parents should be aware of the available sexual and reproductive health services for their children, which include a range of contraceptive methods,” she stated.
The department says this emphasis on parental engagement resonates with the GDoH's commitment to ensuring informed consent, particularly as it pertains to the Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP).
It is explained that the ISHP allows learners aged 12 and above to independently provide consent for health screenings and treatments, yet always ensures that parents are kept in the loop.
Nkomo-Ralehoko also unveiled the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Intervention Plan earlier this year, aiming to tackle the persistent challenge that has plagued communities across the region.
This situation gained increased urgency following alarming reports related to teenage births around the festive season, including shocking incidents highlighted by the North West Legislature Health and Social Development Committee, chaired by Karabo Magagane.
Magagane expressed deep concern after learning of the case of a 16-year-old girl who gave birth to her second child on New Year’s Day—infamously fathered by a 35-year-old man, a crime allegedly initiated when she was just 15.
“Such appalling revelations cast a dark shadow on the future of our young girls and demand urgent action from all sectors of society,” she stated, emphasising the profound implications that teenage pregnancy has on youth, often forcing young mothers into early marriages and creating cycles of poverty.
Saturday Star