Look after your sexual health this festive season

The opening of the Marie Stopes clinic at the Springs Mall has raised a few eyebrows among the more conservative members of the community.

Services offered include medical abortions, pap smear, well-woman screening and a full range of contraceptive methods (short and long-acting).

Also read: Crippling contraceptives

Whitney Chinogwenya, Maries Stopes marketing and brand manager, says they opened a branch in Springs to better service the women in this community.

“Sexual and reproductive health services, especially safe abortion care, are not easily accessible for many South African women, so we are expanding our access points by opening smaller versions of our current centres which we are calling healthcare units (HCU).

“We have seen many facilities who used to provide these services shut down over the last few years and we are doing what we can to fill those gaps.

“Furthermore, we did not have any presence in the east of Johannesburg, so Springs is the first,” says Chinogwenya.

With the festive season in full swing, it is important to look after your sexual health and make sure you do not get caught unprepared.

The fees at the clinic are structured around the community. Contact the clinic on 0800 11 77 85 or info@mariestopes.org.za for accurate and up to date information on pricing.

“We assist women who cannot afford to pay for our services on a case by case.

“There is no criteria to meet as everyone’s story is different. We also offer subsidies via our national contact centre,” says Chinogwenya.

Also read: Motivational speaker removes abortion posters across Springs

Ultimately, Chinogwenya says Marie Stopes stands for freedom of choice and they work to provide women with platforms in which they can exercise this freedom to choose when and if to have children.

“Our mission, internationally, is to ensure that every birth is by choice and not by chance, this is what drives us,” says Chinogwenya.

Maries Stopes is next to the gym at the Springs Mall.