Parents in the South Dayi District of the Volta region have been urged to encourage sex education between themselves and their children.
This, according to the South Dayi District Public Health Officer, Senam Segbenya would expand the knowledge base of young people on adolescent reproductive health which will further reduce the menace of teenage pregnancy in the area.
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She was speaking during a UNFPA-funded program on child marriage organized by the Volta Regional Department of Gender at Dzameni in the South Dayi District.
“In the District, our teenage pregnancy rate is increasing -as at the middle of this year, we were at 17% which is alarming because of the health implications and the socio-economic implications; that is why there is a reason for us to start early to educate the adolescents.”
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“During the engagement, I stressed on sexual and reproductive health education by the parents to their wards, that they should start early as possible so that when they go out, they’re already empowered.”
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In Dzameni, a target group of young apprentices were taken through extensive education on adolescent reproductive health, child marriage, gender based violence amongst others.
The objective is to reduce the increasing cases of teenage pregnancy in the area and also arm the beneficiaries against gender based violence amongst others.
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Mrs. Thywill Eyra Kpe, Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender explained that, “We realised that the statistics on adolescent pregnancy is very high, however, the out of school statistics does not correlate with the general statistics of the Ghana Health Service. Therefore, we realised that there were a lot of young girls who are in apprenticeship, who are out of school that are also getting pregnant.”
“So this program was targeted at reaching every young vulnerable person, especially those who are learning trades -artisans who may not have that opportunity to get information on their sexual and reproductive health and rights, on issues of gender-based violence and also on issues on family planning and contraceptives,” she added.
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Source: Kasapafmonline