Khosa Ntiyiso Vinny, Mudau Azwinndini Gladys, Makhado Lufuno
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Venda, Polokwane, South Africa; and Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha.
Curationis. 2025 Aug 7;48(1):e1-e10. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2711.
Termination of pregnancy has a negative health impact on the lives of youth. Myth and illegal consultation on the termination of pregnancy from unprofessional healthcare personnel, which results in negative consequences on the health and future of youth.
The purpose of this study was to examine healthy sexual practices to lessen the termination of unplanned pregnancies among youth in the Vhembe district.
A quantitative survey method was used in this study. A stratified random sampling was used to select sample size of 531 participants. Self-structured questionnaires and the SurveyMonkey were used to collect data. Pre-test was used to check the reliability of the instrument in the study. Data were analysed using Stata version 18. The approval to conduct the study was received from the University of Venda and the Department of Basic Education.
The findings showed that 56% of the participants agreed that the average waiting period at the public health facility is exceedingly long for pregnancy termination. 53.9% of the participants agreed that language used to give instructions by healthcare regarding the termination of pregnancy is a barrier. 48.8% of the participants agreed that the lack of pregnancy termination resources deterred youth from visiting health facilities.
Promoting healthy sexual practices among youth is vital in lessening the termination of unplanned pregnancies. Education on contraception use, abstinence and open communication between partners can help young people make informed decisions about their sexual health and prevent unintended consequences. Contribution: The study illustrates a good piece of innovative work in health promotion in disadvantaged communities in Vhembe district.
终止妊娠对青少年的生活有负面健康影响。来自非专业医护人员的关于终止妊娠的谣言和非法咨询，给青少年的健康和未来带来了负面后果。
本研究的目的是调查健康的性行为，以减少Vhembe区青少年意外怀孕的终止情况。
本研究采用定量调查方法。采用分层随机抽样选取531名参与者作为样本量。使用自行编制的问卷和SurveyMonkey收集数据。预测试用于检验研究中工具的可靠性。使用Stata 18版本分析数据。本研究获得了文达大学和基础教育部门的批准。
研究结果显示，56%的参与者认为在公共卫生机构进行妊娠终止的平均等待时间过长。53.9%的参与者认为医护人员在妊娠终止方面给予指示时使用的语言是一个障碍。48.8%的参与者认为缺乏妊娠终止资源阻碍了青少年前往卫生机构就诊。
在青少年中推广健康的性行为对于减少意外怀孕的终止至关重要。关于避孕方法使用、禁欲以及伴侣之间开放沟通的教育，可以帮助年轻人就其性健康做出明智的决定，并防止意外后果。贡献：该研究展示了Vhembe区弱势社区健康促进方面一项出色的创新工作。
