It is important to identify the range of reproductive health (RH) services needed by each adolescent and young woman and to be able to offer her as wide a range of RH services as possible. You may need to explain to her that you will be referring her to post-abortion services at another facility where they can diagnose and treat genital tract infections, screen for cervical cancer and investigate physical damage. If you can counsel her about what to expect and why these procedures are necessary she will be more reassured and likely to keep her appointments.

Overall your role as a Health Extension Practitioner is to educate adolescents and young people about the negative consequences of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion so that they can prevent its occurrence. And if adolescents get pregnant through rape or incest, or if they meet the other conditions specified (in Section 3.3.2), they need to know that they can get safe abortion services in health facilities.

Last modified: Sunday, 18 May 2014, 3:28 AM