Situated at the Dr Abdurahman Community Day Centre (CDC), the new clinic, launched on Youth Day, provides a discreet service for teens wanting to get HIV tests, contraceptives and other services away from the eyes of adults.
Health department spokesperson, Monique Johnstone, says the facility is called Adolescent Youth Friendly Services (AYFS) and forms part of the R81m Global Fund grant awarded to the department in 2016.
She says when teens visit the centre they are often scared about bumping into adults in their community and are afraid to seek treatment.
“Many of them are shy and scared that they will see someone they know. They also have to sit in between the adults and in a case where a teen is coming for a pregnancy test, they may not want everyone to know,” she explains.
For this reason, operations manager Lulama Bunyula, says a separate clinic is established on the upper floor.
“In our engagements with the youth, the one message we heard was that when they come to the facility, they do not want to be judged,” she says.
Casslynn Fredericks, vice-chairperson of the newly established Youth Committee, says youngsters in Athlone and Kewtown are happy about the facility.
“At the launch we could see that many of them are excited to have this option.”
People aged between 12 and 35 will be able to access the facility from 2pm to 5pm on weekdays.