Lulu Brenda Harris

Sunday News Correspondent

YOUNG women should firmly insist on using contraceptives to prevent any unplanned pregnancies that later become a burden to them or their families, a senior Government official has said.

In an interview with Sunday News Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thokozani Khupe said women should use family planning methods and avoid having unplanned children instead of abstaining altogether from any form of contraceptives.

She said it became crucial to schools and parents to introduce the “sex subject” and desist from sweeping it under the carpet.

“Sex education is what people should be talking about to their children; it should not be taboo if used in its proper concept. Both girls and boys have to know about sex, and its effects sooner rather than later. It’s crucial both genders know about the real meaning of sex and then appreciate what causes some of the diseases,” she said.

Ms Khupe said although having children was joyous, nowadays young girls fell pregnant at a tender age and continued bearing more children, which was a clear indication that girls were not using any contraceptives.

“Before one knows it, a girl has three or four children in a short space of time and one fails to space her children according to the demands she can afford to meet,” she said.

The DPM’s sentiments come after Zimbabwe joined the world in celebrating world population day, which focuses on reproductive health, where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

Ms Khupe said men, a contributory factor to unwanted pregnancies, should also religiously use condoms or play a part in providing for their women so that when both partners have sexual relations they are prepared for the outcome.

“Although Zimbabwe is the number one user of condoms, we should educate people to continue with family planning methods. The Government is committed in driving this exercise and making sure people use condoms. It’s what you should do, a condom is friend of life, it saves lives and prevents unwanted babies if used properly,” she said.

Worldwide, millions of women who would like to avoid or delay pregnancy lack access to effective family planning.

It has also emerged that most maternal deaths are a result of unplanned pregnancies as some women forgo antenatal health care.

Reproductive health problems remain one of the leading causes of ill health and death for women of childbearing age with most young people entering their reproductive years often without knowledge, skills and services they need to protect themselves.