Bertha Gxowa Hospital hosts health seminar for schoolgirls
A panel of speakers covered topics including mental health, coping with stress, peer pressure, anxiety, teenage pregnancy, reproductive health, nutrition, physical wellness, and substance abuse, with learners sharing their experiences.
Bertha Gxowa Hospital hosted a schoolgirls’ health seminar at Dr Clarence Mini Hall as part of its Women’s Month campaign.
The event aimed to promote health literacy, improve access to services, and inspire behavioural change through dialogue, education, and support.
A panel of speakers covered topics including mental health, coping with stress, peer pressure, anxiety, teenage pregnancy, reproductive health, nutrition, physical wellness, and substance abuse, with learners sharing their experiences.
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Speaking at the event, hospital CEO Lebohang Khumalo said the day was about investing in the health, well-being, and future of girls.
She said the hospital’s responsibility is not only to treat illness, but also to prevent disease, provide knowledge, and create safe spaces where young women can ask questions and access support without judgment.
“The message to every young woman is that prevention starts with knowledge, knowing your body, understanding your choices, protecting your health, and seeking help when you need it,” said Khumalo.
“We also want to highlight the importance of innovation in HIV prevention, including lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention option. Its development represents an important step in expanding prevention choices for women and girls.
“Mental health is equally important,” Khumalo added. ”It is okay to experience anxiety or stress, and it is okay to ask for help. We want our girls to have the confidence to say no, establish boundaries, resist negative peer pressure and walk away from situations that compromise their safety or dignity.”
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Khumalo also discussed HPV, a common virus that can cause cervical cancer if left untreated, stating that early HPV vaccination is a vital tool to protect young girls.
A learner who spoke on mental health shared her experience of an uncle diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age. “He was diagnosed with it at a very young age, and he still struggles with it.
What made it worse throughout his life was when he started consuming alcohol. The family got him professional help and he stopped consuming as much alcohol. He is now doing better,” shared the learner.
Dawnview High School learner Natalie Mubvuta shared her experience, stating that while she initially did not know what to expect, she realised as the programme progressed that they were learning valuable life skills to develop into successful young women.
