Parents Must Discuss Sexual Reproductive Health With Their Children


By Richard Kawazi
Lack of communication between parents and children on sexual reproduction health (SRH) has led to high teenage pregnancy rates and menstrual stigma, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) has said.


The communication gap trend was exposed during a sanitary ware distribution programme targeting school girls in Mashonaland Central province recently.


ZNFPC Marketing Communication Officer Elisa Chiriga, said their outreach team received an overwhelming response from children at Kambira and Wayerera Schools in Bindura who revealed that their parents never discuss sexual reproductive health with them at home.
 
“We encourage parents to openly talk about SRH with their children at home. While distributing sanitary wear at Wayerera school, we were shocked to find out that most of the children did not openly talk about SRH with their parents or guardians,” said Chiriga.

Chiriga attributed this communication breakdown to the fact that conservative communities still consider SRH topics a taboo in the household.
 
“This is coming at a cost of trauma and unwanted pregnancies among young girls,” Chiriga added.
 
“You will find out that girls are starting their menstrual cycle as young as 8-years-old. If the parents do not communicate about SRH, they will not know about  the child’s need for sanitary ware and education on pregnancy issues.”
ZNFPC’s discovery comes while communities in the province are still grappling with the bizarre case of a girl from Kambira Primary School who recently gave birth aged nine.

“Some of these traumas can be avoided if parents prioritise SRH talk with their children from a young age,” said Chiriga.

The outreach program by ZNFPC is targeting 500 girls in the province from underprivileged homes where each girl will receive two packs of sanitary pads a month. *Nhau/Indaba*

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