- Ngami records 241 teenage pregnancies since January
- Youngest aged 12
- Most linked to defilement and rape
- 111 young girls raped in last three months
- Authority authorities on their toes over escalating STIs
- 8000 cases of STIs recorded in 2021 alone
- Over 5600 cases registered the first and second quarters this year
Health authorities in Ngamiland have expressed concerned about the rising cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in the district, with more than 8000 new cases registered in 2021 alone.
According to Ngami District Health Management Team (DHMT) Coordinator, Dr Sandra Maripe, STI cases in the district have been on the rise since 2016.
Briefing the Maun Administrative Council meeting on Wednesday, Maripe revealed that a total of 3069 cases were registered in the second quarter this year as compared to the 2571 recorded in the first quarter. The cases comprised of, UDS VDS, GUS, PID, Genital Wats, Syphilis and Hepatitis.
As for STI contacts, Maripe revealed that 345 cases were registered in the second quarter this year as compared to 386 registered in the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, when speaking at an STI awareness campaign held this past Friday in Maun, Maripe explained that STIs can cause permanent complications to the body adding that others like Syphilis, Chancroid and genital herpes facilitate the transmission of HIV. According to her, some people can even die if certain STIs such as syphilis are left untreated, or if they have complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease in the case of chlamydia.
For his part Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital Principal Registered Nurse, Bontle Ntshonga Maano revealed that the district sexual partner tracing rate is very low, fluctuating between 10% and 17% which is however lower than the national target of 60%.
He further said Ngami DHMT aims to increase treatment and cure of STIs, urging the public to get treated for STIs and be honest enough to reveal all the partners they sleep with in order for them to also get treatment to avoid re-infection. Maano said that by so doing, sexually transmitted infections in the district will be cured in their numbers.
Previously in an interview, a Sexual Reproductive Health Nurse at the hospital, Opelo Keorakile, explained that some STIs can even cause chronic diseases like cervical cancer in women. She added that HIV positive women are at a higher risk of developing cervical cancer due to the fact that they are more likely to acquire the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as it is a common sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer in women and also a strong risk factor for HIV acquisition.
