The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on Tuesday said there was a need for more awareness of family planning services that are available to both men and women in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
IFP spokesperson on health in KwaZulu-Natal, Ncamisile Nkwanyana said: “We need to increase awareness to the public about family planning and services available to prevent unwanted pregnancies. In addition, men do not feature prominently when it comes to sharing the family planning responsibility."
"There is a need of strengthening the empowerment of men, particularly adolescents and young men to increase the effectiveness of prevention of unintended pregnancies and STIs [sexually transmitted infections].
"We have men who discourage and go to an extent of stopping their women from making informed choices on family planning but that needs to stop."
Meanwhile, women wanting abortions were having to camp overnight outside the Addington Hospital in Durban.
“We are very much concerned about the Addington issue because this situation exposes women to dangers of being raped and robbed by criminals at night," Nkwanyana.
"This situation needs urgent attention from the KZN MEC of Health Dr. Sibongiseni Dhlomo because we are of the view that if people are not receiving help at Addington Hospital they will resort to back street abortions conducted by bogus doctors."