Ballito resident Colleen McKee writes:

What is the government going to do about the teen pregnancy explosion?

I read this week that there were 120 000 teen pregnancies from the age 15-19 across South Africa in the past 12 months. KZN has the highest teen pregnancies with the Cape second.

This is a crying shame that sex education in schools, if any at all, is not present. As soon as the girls start menstruation that is when they can potentially become pregnant if they have unprotected sex.

Before 12 weeks these young girls know they are pregnant and should be able to have an abortion and then their tubes tied.

The problem starts when the baby is born and then there is nowhere for them to go. Hence the immense problem with shack dwellers exploding everywhere. Not enough is being done to educate both males and females in schools.

I call upon The Department of Health to please do something about this crisis. Every baby that is born gets a grant and it is eating away at the funds that should go to other more important matters.

The clinics have birth control but the shame that comes with being pregnant at such a young age prevents them from going for help.

I sincerely hope my letter reaches the people who care about our country and this extremely alarming situation.

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