City Health is enthused by young people’s willingness to access family planning services and face diseases of lifestyle head-on.
Statistics for youth-specific services for those aged between 15 and 34, over a two-year period, showed that contraception remains the most sought after service, although there has been a slight decline.
‘We support some of the most important youth services such as family planning, HIV and TB treatment and mental health care. However, we are seeing a climb in lifestyle diseases. During the period in question, there was an increase in youth visiting clinics for services such as hypertension and diabetes. We encourage healthier lifestyle interventions.
‘It is clear that today’s youth are concerned about their general well-being and want to live healthier lives, and we commend them for that. In recent years, City Health has introduced more youth-specific spaces and services, to entice young people to seek medical assistance and advice. All our clinics offer these services, and we even have three facilities providing services to young people exclusively,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.
The three dedicated youth clinics are the Site B and Site C facilities in Khayelitsha, open on weekdays between 07:30 and 16:00, and the St. Vincent Satellite Clinic in Belhar, open from Monday to Thursday, between 14:00 and 16:00.
The three clinics give the youth a safe space away from older people they know and might see in the normal clinic setting. At the other facilities, there is a space for youth clients inside the clinic and a dedicated nurse as well.
All clinics offer youth services between 14:00 and 16:00 daily.
‘Our clinics are more youth-friendly and I want to encourage our young people to seek help and guidance on the health issues that affect them. We’ve seen in recent years that more young people are being affected by diseases of lifestyle, so it is important to get the right information to help them make smart choices about their health and their future,’ added Councillor Van der Ross.
