Education
Source: Ghana Web
Ms Amma Gyankomah Asirifi, Sunyani Municipal Health Promotion Officer at the weekend called for a comprehensive sex education programme in Senior High Schools to protect girls from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
She explained that since adolescence is associated with many issues and denying girls sex education is an indirect way of stepping on their rights of obtaining sexual reproductive health services.
Addressing students of the Twene Amanfo Technical Senior High and Sunyani Senior High Schools at separate forums in Sunyani, Ms Asirifi asked the girls to be cautions and critically observed their menstrual circles in order not to get pregnant.
The forum was organized by Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF) a human right Non-Governmental Organisation, which aims at sensitizing the students on the dangers of pre-marital sex and unsafe abortion.
Ms Asirifi explained that abstinence from sexual intercourse was the best method to guard unwanted pregnancies but added girls who could not abstain ought to be provided with basic sex knowledge to protect them.
Mr Kwasi Baafi Antwi, Brong-Ahafo Regional Health Promotion Officer observed that because adolescent girls went through many characteristics, there was the need to draw them closer and help them to manage themselves well. He explained that it is natural that during adolescence, sexual desires, pleasures and abilities of boys and girls develop higher, and there are always tendencies for them to have sexual intercourse.
This, Mr Antwi noted was why young adults should not be deny sex education so that they could prepare well whenever they wanted to have intercourse. He said the Ghanaian mentality that sex education promoted sexual promiscuity among teenagers is wrong, indicating that when girls got to know the right period to have sex, they would be in the position to resist intercourse when they are closer to their menstrual period.
Mr Victor Fosu Boamah, Operations Director of GLOMEF noted that teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortion were major social issues which needed to be given the required attention.
He said as NGOs and civil society organizations played their roles to address such problems, teachers, parents and religious organizations as well as students ought to appreciate and contribute their quota.
Mr Boamah advised parents to endeavour to provide their adolescent girls with enough panties, braziers, pads and other basic needs for their upkeep.
He explained that under a three year project GLOMEF with support from Safe Abortion Fund (SAF) is implementing in the Brong-Ahafo Region, the NGO would provide girls in selected Senior High Schools with pads free of charge.