Health Ministry Urges Parents to Help Curb Teenage Pregnancies

The adolescent Health manager in the Ministry of Health, Mrs. ’Mathato Nkuatsana, says as the ministry they are concerned about the rate of teenage pregnancies, hence appealing to parents to take part in disciplining their children and guiding them.

In an interview with Mohale FM today, she said as the ministry they are strongly pursuing this step of appealing to parents to be friends with their children so that they can feel comfortable and talk openly about all issues. She said this rate causes diseases in the future that are incurable.

She dismissed the belief that services provided to young people after abuse are only for the prevention of HIV infection, saying that is not the case — all the services include prevention of unintended pregnancies as well. She said the 2023 Lesotho demographic health survey shows that 17 percent of young people in the country fall pregnant underage, which is a decline, but still concerning compared to other countries.