25 children aged 10-14 become mothers in eThekwini in just three months

IN JUST three months, 25 children between the ages of 10 and 14 have given birth in eThekwini, revealing a disturbing trend in teenage pregnancies.

Health officials emphasise the importance of non-judgmental healthcare, comprehensive sex education, and open parent-child communication to address this crisis.

Cato Manor Clinic operational manager Sister Mathombi Nzimande said if one looked at the statistics, “the numbers do not lie”.

“In the eThekwini district alone, in the last quarter (three months), 25 children between 10 to 14 years old returned from the labour ward with babies.  I am talking about 10 to 14-year-olds. I am not counting the others, but 25 in three months. Those are children,” Nzimande said. 

She said this meant those children were sexually active.

Therefore, when they sought help for prevention, they should not be judged but rather receive the help they require.

“You are not allowed, as a health worker, to judge someone who comes seeking a programme because the mere fact that they are seeking the programme means they have already started sexual activity. Your role is to show them and let them choose the programmes. Also try and probe, because sometimes you find a young child coming for a programme, yet they might be abused and sent to ‘go and prevent’ by the abuser at home,” Nzimande said. 

Nzimande, who works under the unit for youth, men, and emergency services, said the youth often face unplanned pregnancies due to a lack of comprehensive sex education.

A common myth is the belief that one must first have a child to confirm fertility before using contraceptives, often driven by peer pressure. To combat these myths, young people are urged to visit clinics for accurate information and education before having a child.

She said there were many types of contraception to choose from, including pills, injections, male and female condoms, long-acting methods like implants, and loops that last for five years.

“You arrive and talk to the nurse that, ‘My situation is like this, maybe I’m still studying, I don’t want to fall pregnant yet, but I’m sexually active’. The nurse will then advise you, saying, ‘Perhaps for you, here are the available programmes’. You choose for yourself; it’s not the nurse who chooses for you, but they guide you to choose the right programme.” 

In a message to parents, Nzimande said that if parents do not give their children the talk, they will get it from their friends.

“Tell them what is right, because it starts at home. Other programmes assist, which they should attend, just as the MEC mentioned that the whole province has youth-friendly services, and they are educated there. In schools, there are peer educators who teach them, and there is the LO (Life Orientation) period that teaches them, but that time is short. The person spends most of their time with you at home. Teach them at home so that they get the right information and are not taught the wrong information by friends,” Nzimande said. 

Simelane said the Health Department promotes the ABC policy, advising youth to abstain until ready. If abstinence fails, they must use a condom.

She advised parents who find it difficult to discuss sensitive issues with their children to initiate the conversation indirectly. You can talk while doing separate activities, like cooking or washing dishes, without making eye contact. The key is for the parent’s voice to be heard, as children will listen even if they are not looking at you.

“But in this day and age, we no longer accept that parents shouldn’t have that relationship with their children. I always say that if it is really difficult, then the parent should just take their child to the clinic and talk to the nurses and say, ‘I want to discuss an issue like this, please talk to them. Here is my child’, and sit there while they talk, because we do that too,” Simelane said.

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