At a local maternity clinic in one of Bulawayo’s high density suburbs, midwives are at pains to explain to a pregnant 15-year-old girl why she must be tested for HIV before she gives birth.
But the teenager, who lightly beats her chest in an effort to pacify what seems like a painful cough, will not hear of it. She is afraid that her worst fears will be confirmed as she already suspects she could be HIV-positive.
The nurses are worried about the teenager’s health and decide to call in the girl's grandmother who is given the task of explaining to the teenager why she must be tested.
Getting tested is the only way she will be prescribed the medication that will not only treat her cough, but also give her longer life to see her unborn child grow up, the grandmother assures her. Only then does the HIV test go ahead.
It is a scene Nontando Siziba, a 53-year old midwife, has seen many times. Though she does not provide ready figures, Siziba says rather bleakly this is not an isolated case as a growing number of pregnant young girls are visiting the maternity clinic.
Siziba explains that some young mothers are still unwilling – and afraid - to access antenatal health care under the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes.
"We now test all pregnant women for HIV as part of attempts to protect the health of both the mother and child but this is sometimes very difficult when we are working with teenagers," Siziba explained......
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