Civil Society Groups Lobbying For Young People To Access Reproductive Health Services

Civil Society Groups are reportedly urging the Parliament of Zimbabwe to amend the law to allow young people to access reproductive health services, the Daily News reports.

The matter came to light this week as the speaker of the Civic Groups Diana Mailosi stood before the parliamentary committee on Health and said:

The intent of laws and policies on age of consent is to protect children and adolescents. However, requiring parental consent to access reproductive healthcare services such as HIV testing and counselling has been cited as a major barrier in acquiring such services.

During uptake/demand by adolescents, the capacity of the healthcare providers to make critical decisions is restricted in fear of legal action. It has also been documented that adolescents opt not to seek care because they want to avoid telling their parents about their health problems and sexual activities.

An Amendment to The Public Health Act of 2018 to provide that there should be no age restrictions on accessing Reproductive Healthcare Services by persons aged 16 years, that includes HIV testing, pre and post-counselling, STI treatment, access to contraceptives and other pregnancy prevention and management tools for adolescents and young people.

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Provisions in the Children’s Act ensuring access to reproductive health services for adolescents and young people under the age of 16. We encourage parliamentarians to conduct public hearings with young people to hear their views and understand the extent of the issues presented in the petition. Encourage Parliament to consult other youth organisations and entities that may illuminate the issues raised.

The development comes after civil society groups petitioned Parliament to allow all adolescent kids to access reproductive health services earlier.

More: Daily News