Condoms availability in WC?

Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever confirmed a noticeable decrease in teenage pregnancies since 2020. The Western Cape government attributes this decline to various factors, including public awareness programs, behavioral changes, and the availability of an ample supply of condoms. The government currently has 24.7 million male condoms and 263,200 female condoms in stock, all of which have been approved by the South African Bureau of Standards for distribution. The government's emphasis on reducing infectious diseases, such as HIV, is a key aspect of their 2030 vision, which promotes condom usage among both men and women. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) also reported a decrease in the number of teenage pregnancies. WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond highlighted the importance of completing education and outlined the department's provincial learner pregnancy policy, which guides the process when a pregnancy is reported. In cases of pregnancy resulting from sexual assault, the principal is instructed to follow the procedures outlined in the "Abuse No More" protocol document. The WCED provides psychosocial support through specialized support teams to pregnant learners, aiming to facilitate their return to school after giving birth. The Parent Centre in Wynberg, a registered non-profit organization (NPO), focuses on primary prevention of child abuse by promoting positive parenting and effective child management practices. In contrast, KwaZulu-Natal documented 26,515 adolescent pregnancies between the ages of 10 and 19 from April to December of the previous year, with 1,254 of these pregnancies specifically involving girls aged 10 to 14