UJ STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLNESS STUDENT GUIDE 12 “Nothing beats being in control of your sexual health” As the country is gripped by a high scourge of unemployment & challenges faced by young people finding themselves having unsafe sex which results in unplanned pregnancies & acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), it is very important to learn about the basics of contraceptives, especially while pursuing their studies. Birth control involves various approaches towards dealing with unplanned pregnancies & risks of being infected with diseases through sexual intercourse. The healthcare system is assisting millions of people in the country with free access to services to curb the scourge of HIV/AIDS, unplanned pregnancies and STI’s, students like any other individuals also have access to condoms, birth control pills, injectables, Implanon & intrauterine devices (IUDs) used as contraceptives. In a study released in July 2025, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that among the 1,9 billion women of reproductive age, which were between the ages of 15 to 49 years, across the globe in 2021, at least 1.1 billion of females had a need for family planning & in the number allocated, 874 million were using modern contraceptive methods & 164 million had an unmet need for contraception. Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Pretoria’s Mediclinic Kloof, Dr Caitlin Hegter said that unintended pregnancies remain a significant concern in the country. She pointed out that even today, women are still struggling to access the right contraceptive information and services. In today’s world where it may seem like all the information is available at our fingertips especially through social media, much of this information is unreliable & not evidence-based, leading many women to receive advice that may not be in their best interests,” said Hegter. She also emphasized that women have a variety of contraceptive methods to choose from, “categorised into non-hormonal and hormonal methods. WHO said that access to contraception supports the fundamental human right to decide freely & responsibly the number & spacing of children, while on the other hand, it also provides important health benefits by preventing unintended pregnancies & reducing health related risks. Different contraceptive options are available to prevent unintended pregnancies, including both provisional and permanent methods, with the use of condoms as the only one contraceptive method that can assist for prevention of both pregnancy & the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. It is worth noting that family planning gives people an option to have a clear vision of how they can have a better future. Access to family planning supports people’s right to make informed choices about their sexual & reproductive health.
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