The vast majority of clients seeking sexual health services at City clinics are youth aged 15 – 34, which is encouraging – but other categories that clients could be benefitting from are lagging, so this Youth Month, City Health encourages young people to swipe right on their overall health.

Apart from Primary Healthcare services, the City of Cape Town’s clinics offer a basket of youth-friendly health services, including contraception, pregnancy testing and antenatal care, family planning and education.

In order to attract young people into the clinic environment to access the services, a number of measures have been introduced in recent years, including:

• training clinic staff to be sensitise towards young people seeking sexual health and reproductive services;

• using queue marshals to fast-track learners needing family planning services;

• introducing youth clinics, or set hours focusing on youth services

• introducing a new appointment system, encouraging follow-up visits; and

• developing engaging educational material, available in clinic waiting areas.

In recent years, clinics also started offering Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which is a highly effective HIV prevention method for HIV-negative people who feel they may be at risk of contracting HIV.

In recent years, HIV self-screening (HIVSS)and Index case testing (ICT) have been introduced at some clinics, as well as substance abuse and mental health treatment options.

In the 2020/21 financial year (1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021), City clinic clients in the 15 – 34 age group accounted for:

• 85,15% of clients accessing PrEP

• 84,1% of clients on Basic Antenatal Care

• 78,5% of clients receiving services relating to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

• 70.1% of all family planning clients

• 64,9% of clients who had HIV tests

• 56% of clients accessing substance abuse treatment services

• 39% of clients accessing TB services

• 32,3% of clients on ART

• 33,4% of clients utilising mental health services

• 6,7% of clients receiving treatment for hypertension

• 5,5% of clients receiving treatment for diabetes

‘Based on an overview of statistics, our youth are definitely making the most of some of our basket of services specifically designed for them, which bears testament to the hard work that has gone into making clinics more youth-friendly. However, while there is a high demand for STI screening and testing, antenatal care and PrEP, the statistics show that there is work to be done in other areas. HIV testing rates in this age group remain low, and so too TB testing and treatment, as well as ART treatment.

‘Recently, we highlighted a 70% increase in new hypertension cases in the 18 – 44 age group. So, while sexual health is and should remain a top priority for our youth, our appeal is that they also take a more holistic look at their health. We need a departure from the notion that some diseases are limited to older people. The hypertension data, for one, suggests otherwise, so early screening and detection for chronic diseases, but also HIV and TB, are critical,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross.

Source: City Of Cape Town