Thyolo youths top in abortion, sex diseases rate

Officials in Thyolo are brain storming on how best to deal with high unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rate among youths of 18 and below Youth officer for Thyolo Doreen Mbendera says recent hospital statistics for the last three months are alarming. "For instance, out of the 100 unsafe abortion recorded in the past three month, 32 involves girls and out of the 100 sexually transmitted infection,36 involves the youth all of whom are below 18," she said. She said this means the youth in the tea growing district practise unsafe sex. Mbendera said no wonder statistics indicate that 18 percent of the youth in the district are HIV positive, saying this is a high prevalence rate for any age group. The youth officer also said it was worrying that only 20 percent of the youth access family planning services. She therefore said there was need for a meeting involving all stakeholders from both the government and nongovernmental organisations to see how to deal with the problems youth in Thyolo are facing.