Ibis collaborates with various stakeholders in government departments, NGOs, and universities with the aim to share information and expand efforts to reduce unintended teenage pregnancy in South Africa.
In 2013 this partnership launched mmoho, a campaign to change the national discourse around teen pregnancy and increase access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services for young people between 12-24 years. A Sotho word meaning together, mmoho targets and involves teenage girls and boys through clear and concise messaging around teenage pregnancy that promotes a rights-based approach to teenage pregnancy prevention and the provision of contraceptives through various online and in-person activities.
Since the inception of this project we have carried out a series of interventions to both understand and address the issue of teen pregnancy, such as by engaging young women in Gauteng and Limpopo to play an active role in addressing teen pregnancy, HIV, and other SRH issues in their own communities, as well as conducting research to better understand this issue. This includes research to ascertain the burden of teenage pregnancy in South Africa; research to understand young men’s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in relation to contraceptive use, undesired pregnancy, and early fatherhood; and a study to explore young people’s perceptions and priorities regarding contraceptive use and safe sex practices to prevent HIV and pregnancy, respectively.
