North West Premier Thandi Modise has ahead of the World Population Day (WPD) called on men to take a stand against adolescent pregnancy by not being sugar-daddies. The WPD commemoration is to be held in Mahikeng on Thursday.
Premier Modise said that research has shown that sugar daddies who date young girls contribute to the problem adolescent pregnancy which robs many young girls of their childhood and future.
“The commemoration takes place at the appropriate time as July has been declared Men’s Month, and therefore it is important that real men take a stand against adolescent pregnancy and the scourge of rape as part of moral regeneration,” highlighted Modise.
The Premier said that other factors leading to adolescent pregnancy include lack of knowledge about contraceptives, lack of access to safe contraceptives and peer pressure.She urges young women to focus on their studies and stop engaging in premature and irresponsible sexual activities. She said the province will continue to create awareness about the dangers of adolescent pregnancies and the importance of contraception and proper family planning.
WPD is an annual event, commemorated on 11 July throughout the world to raise awareness on the importance of population and related issues. The focus for this year’s WPD is on adolescent pregnancy.
According to the South African Youth Context report released in 2011, six percent of female high school learners reported having had an abortion while 9, 5 males in the same category reported having had a partner who had an abortion. Only 48 percent of these learners reported using legal health services.
Minister of Health Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi recently revealed that 94 000 school girls fell pregnant in 2011 across the country and that some of the girls who fell pregnant and tested positive for HIV-were reportedly between the ages of 10 and 14.
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Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 388 3157
E-mail : LKgwele@gmail.com
