Every woman, young and old, has the right to access contraception and other family planning services, information and education. Adolescent girls and young women in South Africa, require special attention when it comes to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services as they have a higher unmet need for contraception than older women. The unmet need for contraception among adolescent girls and young women contributes to the high rates of unintended pregnancy among this group, which are decreasing at a slower rate in our country than in other parts of the world.
Held each year on the 26th September, World Contraception Day - aims to improve awareness of all available contraceptive methods and to enable people to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health.
Dr Kim Jonas, a Specialist Scientist at the SAMRC’s Health Systems Research Unit (HSRU) conducts research that aims to promote access and use of contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa. To commemorate this year’s World Contraception Day, Dr Jonas and colleagues at HSRU aim to boost awareness about contraception by sharing information about the different contraceptive methods and promote contraceptive use.
Dr Jonas emphasize that contraceptives are a safe, easy and effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy for every woman, including young woman, and that each has a right to access and use a contraceptive method of her choice. She added that “If you want a better future for yourself and your family, choose contraception!” specifically referring to adolescent girls and young women.
To reduce the unmet need for contraception and improve contraceptive use among adolescent girls and young women, accelerated efforts to improve the availability and accessibility of SRH information and services for them are required. Access and use of contraceptives not only prevent unintended pregnancies but are also lifesaving, and can help to empower women, and in turn, break the cycle of poverty.
Furthermore, we also want to urge the health systems authorities to prioritize SRH services for adolescent girls and young women through providing accurate, comprehensive, accessible and appropriate contraception information and education and to offer them the choice of all available contraceptive methods. Information should also be made accessible to parents of adolescent girls and young women, as well as to boys and young men as they play a critical role in young women’s access and use of contraception. The provision of contraception information and services, together with youth- friendly and responsive SRH services will enable adolescent girls and young women to make informed choices about which contraceptive method best suit their needs.
“When adolescent girls and young women are given the option to choose their own preferred contraceptive method, with appropriate contraception counselling and education, they are more likely to adhere to the method of contraception. So let us empower our adolescent girls and young women with rights-centered contraceptive information and services for a better future that they deserve!” concluded Dr Jonas.
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