Condoms are highly effective in preventing unplanned pregnancies, STIs and HIV.

 

Students And Youth Working on reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) joins communities and partners in celebrating the International Condom Day. SAYWHAT recognizes the crucial link between bringing visibility to the safe, inexpensive, and highly effectiveness of condoms and the prevention of unplanned pregnancies, STIs and HIV. The connection underscores the need for condom education to ensure young people make informed choices about their health.

 

As a youth led organization, SAYWHAT remains dedicated to ensuring that young people have access to sexual and reproductive health services, their well-being protected, and they have equal opportunities to thrive and contribute to society. Condom education is especially important with the intensification of disheartening stories where children below the Age of Consent are becoming parents to children. The 3rd National Assessment on Adolescent Pregnancies in Zimbabwe presented on the 31st of January showed 21.2% antenatal (ANC) bookings by adolescents’ girls between the age of 10-19, 1532 maternal deaths and an increase in the number of pregnant girls 15-19 testing HIV positive in ANC between 2021-2022.

 

The presentation on adolescent pregnancies follows heartbreaking news of 14-year-old girl, Yeukai Dandara, who died in January after being sexually exploited by an adult relative and giving birth to twins. Similarly on the 26th of January 10 adolescents between the age of 14 and 16 were also arrested at a Vuzu party in Bulawayo for drug and substance abuse. Post the presentation the story of ‘Zvitokwe Mukosi’ circulated on the 12th of February citing children below the age of 15 engaging in sex work in the town of Zaka Jerera Growth Point.

 

As we commemorate International Condom Day, it is important that the challenge of underage parenting be addressed and young people are capacitated about the importance of condom use in preventing unplanned pregnancies, STIs and HIV. SAYWHAT has comprehensive interventions to provide young people with information on condom use and SRH services. The SAYWHAT call centre with the toll-free 577 is available to the public 24/7. We call upon communities to utilize the toll-free 577 not only to access SRH services but to report abuse and safeguard the well being of children in our communities. Together, we can create a society where every young person, regardless of their background, enjoys access to comprehensive public health services, quality education, and opportunities for socioeconomic empowerment.

 

In addition, in this digital era young people can also enroll for free on SAYWHAT’s interactive online learning “Smart Learners Hub” available onhttps://smartlearnershub.net/. The Smart Learners Hub provides accurate and quality SRH information for young people to live a self-determined sexual and reproductive health life. SAYWHAT also collaborates with the National AIDS council, the Ministry of Health and Childcare and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to implement the National Condomize! Campaign across Zimbabwe. We take this opportunity to remind young people to tune in to SAYWHAT social media platforms and be appraised of the Condomize Campaigns in the provinces. Condoms remain the only tool that can prevent unplanned pregnancy, STIs and HIV all in one.

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