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NW Health Department apologises for injecting learners with birth control

───   OLEBOGENG MOTSE 13:02 Tue, 13 Mar 2018

NW Health Department apologises for injecting learners with birth control | News Article

The North West Health Department has apologised for injecting 23 high school learners with contraceptives without consulting parents on the matter.


The North West Health Department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane, says the incident in question took place in February 2018 during the province’s Pregnancy Awareness Week. He says area managers from the department, as well as practitioners from the local clinic, went to Pitso-Letlhogile Secondary School outside Ganyesa on a health promotion visit. It was at this visit that learners were asked if they were interested in receiving the birth control injection - 25 learners came forward. Lekgethwane says of the 25 only 23 were injected because it was revealed that one learner had already received birth control while the other was pregnant. This, however, did not sit well with parents who felt that they should have been thoroughly consulted beforehand, even though legally children from the age of 12 are allowed to give consent.

The Children’s Act 2005 states “Other forms of contraception can also be supplied if the child is mature enough to understand the implications and it is clinically appropriate. If a minor seeks contraceptive advice without parental consent, his/her confidentiality should be respected, unless there are reasonable grounds for suspecting the child is being exploited or abused.” 

Lekgethwane says one of the parents complained that she did not prefer the method that was used for prevention. He says this resulted in uneasiness in the community which traumatised some of the learners.

Following outrage from the Phaposane community, the Department engaged with the Portfolio Committee on Health and Social Development, and in light of this issued a public apology to everyone affected.

He says the department feels that the programme, which is important, should have been handled differently by the sub-district.


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