Promoting healthy sexual practices to prevent youth pregnancy in Vhembe district.
Ntiyiso Vinny Khosa, Azwinndini Gladys Mudau, Lufuno Makhado
PMID 40776703WHAT IT FOUND
South African school youth did not consistently identify legal and illegal abortion settings, and many reported staff disrespect, confidentiality concerns, language barriers, parental consent demands and long waits.
Key findings
0153.3% of learners agreed that legal abortion is termination at health facilities by health professionals, while 23.5% were unsure.
0251.8% agreed healthcare staff do not respect youth during termination consultations, and 47.6% agreed health practitioners do not keep confidentiality.
0356% agreed public facility waiting periods are very long for pregnancy termination, and 48.8% agreed lack of resources deterred youth from visiting health facilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done in one district and only included full-time school learners, so it does not represent out-of-school youth or other districts. The findings are self-reported perceptions from a questionnaire, not measured clinical care, audited confidentiality, or observed consultation behaviour. The survey is cross-sectional, so it cannot show what caused unplanned pregnancy, termination requests, or barriers. Some reported percentages and table labels are inconsistent, which makes the data harder to check. No intervention was tested, so the paper cannot show that education, respectful care, or improved access reduces pregnancy or termination.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Research Fund, and the publication was funded by the University of Venda.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these percentages as proof that health workers are rude or that confidentiality is routinely broken. The survey reports self-reported perceptions from school learners in one district and did not measure actual care or test an intervention.