Women’s Health
Health department launches contraceptives vending machine in EC
27% of pregnant women in South Africa living with HIV – new survey
Findings from South Africa’s most recent Antenatal HIV Sentinel Survey show that more than a quarter (27.5%) of pregnant women in the country are living with HIV. This rate is still high, but it shows a decrease from the 30% prevalence recorded…
South Africa edging closer to HIV goals, but women still bear the brunt
The sixth South African national HIV prevalence, incidence, and behaviour survey shows the significant progress the country has made in the HIV response. Released this week, the survey shows that 90% of those above the age of 15-years who are…
Here’s what you need to know about breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in South Africa accounting for 22.6% of all female cancers. Men can also get breast cancer, with approximately 1% diagnosed. Health-e News spoke with Dr Diana Pillay, a radiation oncologist at…
EC case study: How poor service in the public sector is pushing women to ‘backstreet’ abortion
In April 2022, *Grace Langa went to Frontier Hospital in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape for an abortion. “At first I went to the hospital on a Monday. I was told that they only perform abortions on Wednesdays. “I went…
Prevention is needed on all fronts to stem the tide of new HIV infections
New HIV infections are still a major driver of the epidemic. According to UNAIDS adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately affected. Around the world, this population group accounts for about 4000 new infections every week. In South Africa, where…
Access to safe abortion is still a major challenge for women in rural areas
South Africa has one of the most liberal abortion legislation in the world. But this has not translated to easy access to abortion. Many women still struggle to get the services. fWhen they do, they are faced with bad attitudes…
What is endometriosis? Why is it so hard to diagnose and treat?
Arnetia Brown got her first period when she was 13 and pain has been a regular part of her life since. “With my very first cycle my father found me passed out on the floor. I actually fainted because I…
Clinical studies bring GIFT of sexual health closer for women
Written by Dave Chambers for Jive Media Africa, research communications partner to GIFT A South African innovation designed to screen for inflammation associated with HIV infections and improve women’s sexual and reproductive health has been manufactured and has entered its…
Women living on streets struggle to get basic health services
“Most of the times when I, or a friend, went to a clinic the healthcare workers didn’t want to help us because of the way we smelled or how we looked,” Chantel Sampson recalls. In 2018, the 42-year-old lived on…
Breastfeeding: Unlearning poor generational advice
“This baby is getting hungry and not getting enough food! She’s always crying because you’re not giving her food so that she can grow well!” These words rang in the ears of first-time mom Thandi Mhlanga as she prepared soft…
New breast cancer tech for Gauteng
Gauteng now has a new 3D mammography machine which is more accurate in detecting breast cancer. The R3.8 million device is housed in Pink Drive’s new mobile truck. Founder and CEO of the organisation, Noelene Kotschan, says that this machine…
Pharmacists think it’s illegal to dispense abortion pills: worrying consequences
Victoria Satchwell was desperate when she called the fifth pharmacist asking them to dispense abortion pills for an almost 10-week pregnant client. The woman is a 19-year-old rape victim living in Vredefort, a small farming town in the Free State.…
Period poverty: 7 million women and girls can’t afford sanitary products
When Phumzile Mayiza, 33, started her menstrual cycle at 14, she was bewildered. Growing up in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal in kwaHlabisa, she was not exposed to information about what was happening to her body. “I felt very ashamed when my…