Family planning involves spacing of children, how many children you want to have and so on and so forth, in between, before you have the next child. However, while this may ordinarily be the case, what is the easiest way for a Zambian youth to avoid an unwanted pregnancy?

During a special Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) ‘INSIDE HEALTH’ program sponsored by the Zambia Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (ZAGO) on one of the country’s private broadcaster, Kenmark Broadcasting Network (KBN), early this year, Dr Whyson Munga, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist and ZAGO member from Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital (UTH) debunked some of the myths around family planning and its connection to addressing the widely-prevalent problem of teenage pregnancies in Zambia.

Below is Q & A between Dr Munga and the interviewer, Tumenji Chinjili:

Interviewer: What is the easiest way to avoid unwanted or unplanned pregnancy?

Dr Munga: It is abstinence. Delay the sexual activity. Young ladies if you are listening, if you are below the age of 18, just hold on. Focus on school; focus on things that will make you independent when certain responsibilities start coming up in your life. The biggest trap where we can catch the majority of young people is to preach abstinence. Who are the best preachers of abstinence? The faith-based organisations and religious groupings. Can the Church start talking about sex and encourage people to abstain if they are young. Can Christians, Muslims, Hindus etc., start talking about this (sex). You know what will happen, a good percentage of young people will be protected from unwanted pregnancies just by that message. There are others that will fail to abstain, provide them with information about contraception, and make it available. There are many methods of contraceptives that people can use to prevent pregnancy.

So there are many methods that can be used to prevent unwanted pregnancies by way of family planning. [But] there is no family planning at the age of sixteen. Family planning is for people that are in a family. Can you plan a family at 16, when you are still being kept by your parents? So, promote contraception use. You will be amused that all the research that have been done show that there is high knowledge on contraception, up to 99 percent knowledge level. Whilst there is knowledge, there are some gaps on the various methods of contraception use. [So] if you are below 16 years, don’t even entertain sex, it’s not for you.

Government policy is to provide free access to contraceptives in all public health facilities. They may not be available, but the policy is that they should be free.

Interviewer: Do we have male-centered family planning?

Dr Munga: Remember family planning is a bigger issue. Family planning involves spacing of the children. How many children you want to have so on and so forth, in between, before you have the next child. Unfortunately, majority of contraception methods are available for women. Coming back to male family planning methods, there are limited options. For example, condoms and male condoms are widely distributed. Everywhere you find condoms free of charge, most of the time. For permanent sterility where a male says I don’t want to have children anymore, then there is vasectomy. Tying the small tubes that bring the sperm from where it is produced. Otherwise, a responsible male will not give a lady unwanted pregnancy.

Interviewer: Is the curriculum really addressing the issue of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in the country?

Dr Munga: You know that most teenagers access so much information from the internet, etc. Now, the aim is to package this information in a way that is appropriate, accurate, and age- appropriate. But whether or not you make it a subject on its own, that’s an area of debate. I can see that there is something being done in the awareness of the body, and so on. I think this is a good idea, but it needs more consultation.

For example, what [is it that] can be appropriate for a grade five [pupil], grade six, and grade seven, grade eight and so on and so forth? And do you make [Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights] a stand-alone subject or do you incorporate it in other subjects like sciences?

So it really depends on how this issue is approached. And you need to have case studies to see how other countries have done it and whether it has brought any benefits. We need to know what the understanding of our society is because whatever you introduce in the curriculum, has to tally with what people believe.

Interviewer: What is ZAGO doing to address this problem of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies?

Dr Munga: ZAGO has come up with a framework. One of this is to engage with various media institution like yourselves KBN, ZNBC and many others to talk about this issue and spread the information to the public so that we increase awareness. The second is that we have identified key stakeholders, including community leaders, chiefs, headmen, church leaders, law makers, civic leaders among others so that we develop a common understanding that this is a one of the major problems confronting our society.

And very key stakeholders are teenagers and the youths themselves. ZAGO has identified various youth groups across the country and there are specific programs currently running by the youths themselves. We engage them, get the ideas from them, and formulate messages with input from the youths, to speak the youth language and that way we are being understood on the fact that together we can prevent this vice which is damaging our country slowly.

Interviewer: Your concluding remarks

Dr Munga: You the youths, teenagers, remember to postpone sex until such a time when you will be equipped enough to handle the pressures that come with the consequences of sex. Don’t just look at the act, look at the consequences. Defer sex, postpone sex as much as you can.

For all other stakeholders, the media, let’s talk about this. The church: the Muslims, Hindus, Christians, civic leaders, law-makers, let’s talk about this. Let’s not avoid it. Let’s also look at our laws: are they sufficient? Are they clear enough? I am very optimistic that together we can come up with solutions to prevent unwanted pregnancies; prevent unintended pregnancies; more importantly we prevent teenage pregnancies, and finally we can eliminate maternal mortality due to unsafe abortions.