Your Health, Your Future: 7 Health Conversations Young People in Eswatini Shouldn’t Avoid
Being young often comes with the assumption that serious health concerns belong to the future.
When you’re studying, starting work, building relationships and figuring out what comes next, visiting a healthcare professional may only happen when you’re already sick.
But many of the decisions and habits that shape long-term health begin much earlier.
As we recognise International Youth Day on 12 August, it’s a good opportunity for young people across Eswatini to think about something that can easily be overlooked: taking ownership of your health.
That doesn’t mean worrying about every symptom or undergoing unnecessary tests.
It means knowing your body, understanding your risks and feeling comfortable asking for professional healthcare advice when you need it.
1. Sexual Health Should Be a Normal Health Conversation
Sexual and reproductive health is healthcare.
Yet embarrassment, fear of judgement and concerns about privacy can make young people hesitant to ask questions or seek services.
This is particularly important in Eswatini.
UNICEF has highlighted the ongoing need for accessible, confidential and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive healthcare, particularly because young people continue to face significant risks relating to HIV, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy.
You should feel able to speak to a healthcare professional about concerns such as:
- HIV testing and prevention
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Contraception
- Pregnancy
- Changes in menstrual cycles
- Unusual discharge
- Pain or discomfort
- Condom use
- Reproductive health
- HPV
- Sexual health concerns
You don’t need to wait until something goes wrong.
Sometimes the most valuable consultation is simply asking, “What do I need to know to protect myself?”
2. Know Your HIV Status
Eswatini has made enormous progress in its response to HIV, particularly in expanding testing and treatment.
However, HIV remains an important public health issue, especially among adolescents and young adults.
UNAIDS reported in 2025 that new HIV infections remain a particular concern among younger people, especially adolescent girls and young women.
Knowing your HIV status allows you to make informed decisions about your health.
If your result is negative, a healthcare professional can discuss ways of remaining negative, including safer sex practices and available HIV-prevention options where appropriate.
If your result is positive, effective antiretroviral treatment allows people living with HIV to protect their health and dramatically reduce the risk of HIV-related illness.
Testing isn’t something to be ashamed of.
It is information about your health.
3. Don’t Ignore Mental Health
Young adulthood can be exciting, but it can also involve significant pressure.
Education, employment, finances, relationships, family expectations and uncertainty about the future can all contribute to stress.
Everyone experiences difficult periods occasionally.
But if feelings of anxiety, sadness or emotional exhaustion begin affecting your daily life, it may be time to speak to someone.
Pay attention if you notice:
- Persistent low mood
- Ongoing anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of interest in things you usually enjoy
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling constantly overwhelmed
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Difficulty coping with daily responsibilities
Mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as physical health.
You don’t have to wait until you’re in crisis before asking for help.
4. Don’t Normalise Constant Exhaustion
Being busy can make tiredness feel normal.
But there is a difference between needing a good night’s sleep and feeling exhausted almost every day.
Persistent fatigue can have many causes, including:
- Poor sleep
- Stress
- Anaemia
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Infection
- Thyroid problems
- Mental health conditions
- Chronic illness
- Lifestyle factors
Anaemia is particularly relevant in Eswatini. WHO reports that anaemia remains common among women of reproductive age in the country.
You can’t diagnose the cause of persistent fatigue by symptoms alone.
If you’re getting enough rest but continue feeling unusually weak, exhausted, dizzy or short of breath, speak to a healthcare professional.
5. Understand Contraception Before You Need It
Contraception shouldn’t only become a conversation after a pregnancy scare.
Understanding your options beforehand allows you to make calmer and more informed decisions.
Different contraceptive methods have different advantages, side effects and levels of effectiveness.
Options may include methods such as:
- Condoms
- Oral contraceptive pills
- Injectable contraception
- Implants
- Intrauterine devices
- Other methods recommended by a healthcare professional
Condoms also have an important role because, unlike most other forms of contraception, they can help reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections.
A healthcare professional can help you understand which contraceptive method may be appropriate based on your health, preferences and circumstances.
Eswatini’s national health priorities specifically recognise the importance of improving access to integrated sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents and young people.
6. Pay Attention to Symptoms That Keep Coming Back
Young people sometimes assume that age automatically protects them from illness.
It doesn’t.
Most headaches, stomach problems, tiredness and minor illnesses will have relatively simple explanations.
But recurring or persistent symptoms deserve attention.
Speak to a healthcare professional if you are experiencing problems such as:
- Repeated headaches
- Persistent abdominal pain
- Frequent infections
- Unexplained weight loss
- Unusual lumps or swelling
- Ongoing digestive problems
- Repeated urinary symptoms
- Changes in menstrual cycles
- Persistent skin changes
- Ongoing pain
- Fatigue that doesn’t improve
The important question isn’t whether a symptom is frightening.
It’s whether it is unusual for you, persistent or getting worse.
Repeatedly treating the symptom without understanding its cause can delay appropriate medical care.
7. Learn Your Family Health History
Your family’s medical history can tell you something about your own health risks.
Ask whether close relatives have experienced conditions such as:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Certain cancers
- High cholesterol
- Kidney disease
Having a family history does not mean you will automatically develop the same condition.
It may, however, mean that your healthcare professional recommends paying attention to certain risk factors or starting screening earlier.
You cannot change your genetics.
You can change what you do with the information.
Healthcare Should Feel Accessible, Not Intimidating
One of the barriers young people may face when seeking healthcare is worrying about how they’ll be treated.
UNICEF reported in 2025 that only 48% of health facilities in Eswatini offered youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, highlighting the importance of improving privacy, accessibility and young people’s confidence in seeking care.
Healthcare conversations should be respectful.
You should be able to ask questions about your body, medication, sexual health and wellbeing without embarrassment.
And if you don’t understand something a healthcare professional tells you, ask them to explain it.
Being involved in decisions about your health is part of becoming an informed patient.
Where Telemedicine Can Help
For young people balancing studies, work and everyday responsibilities, convenience can make a significant difference in whether healthcare gets postponed.
Telemedicine provides another way to start the conversation.
Through TruMD Eswatini, you can speak to a qualified healthcare professional online about many common health concerns without needing to travel to a clinic or doctor’s rooms for the initial consultation.
A virtual consultation may be useful for discussing:
- General symptoms
- Sexual and reproductive health questions
- Medication
- Mental wellbeing
- Skin concerns
- Minor infections
- Chronic health concerns
- Whether further testing is needed
If your symptoms require a physical examination, laboratory testing, emergency treatment or specialist care, the healthcare professional can advise you on the appropriate next step.
Telemedicine doesn’t replace every form of healthcare.
It can, however, make asking the first question considerably easier.
Your Health Decisions Today Matter
International Youth Day is usually a celebration of young people’s ideas, potential and contribution to society.
That future also depends on health.
Looking after yourself doesn’t require becoming obsessed with wellness or being afraid of illness.
It means taking your symptoms seriously when necessary, protecting your sexual health, knowing your status, looking after your mental wellbeing and asking for professional advice instead of relying entirely on social media or internet searches.
Your health belongs to you.
And learning how to look after it is one of the most valuable skills you can carry into adulthood.
TruMD Eswatini connects you with qualified healthcare professionals through convenient online consultations, helping you access trusted medical advice wherever you are.
Have a health question you’ve been putting off? Talk to a doctor with TruMD Eswatini.
