Tackling the Taboo Topic of Teen Pregnancy in Ghana
Walking up the main street of Ho, the capital of Volta Region, you’ll see signs for the Lady Volta Resource Centre inviting youth to “Come have a chat!” The center provides a referral and counseling service for young adults, under the age of 26, to seek sexual and reproductive health advice on issues ranging from relationships to family planning to sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
Sex is not always a straightforward matter in Ghana, especially for teenagers. Yayra Damesi, a 21-year-old researcher and counselor at the Lady Volta Resource Center, says girls tell her that their boyfriends don’t enjoy sex with condoms so they don’t use them.
Male and female counselors, like Yayra, visit local schools to educate young people about their sexuality and to answer their reproductive health questions through games and discussions. They also bust through myths by asking provocative questions such as “Can using a condom make a man weak?” or “If a girl closes her eyes during sex will it prevent pregnancy?”
UNFPA is providing the education and resources needed to break down the myths surrounding reproductive health. With your support, programs like the Lady of Volta Resource Centre help young people in Ghana prevent unwanted teenage pregnancies and the spread of deadly diseases.
Kenneth Kpedekpo, 28, has been a counselor at the centre for 15 months, and he agrees that teenagers feel more comfortable talking about sexual issues that they may be reluctant to address with their parents with another young person. He says that many boys, who make up about a quarter of the centre’s clientele, are prepared to use a condom but have difficulty dealing with the social embarrassment attached.
“There is still stigma attached to buying a condom,” Kenneth says. “Guys feel shy – immediately everybody in the store knows they are prepared to have sex.”
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has provided a $15,000 grant to fund this teen pregnancy awareness program and undertake research on the needs of teen-age mothers.
Radio announcements are reaching local teens and the community at large to inform them about these services.
For the women that become pregnant, the next step is expanding the program to help teen mothers start up small businesses in jewelry, candle making and jam production. All of these can be feasibly produced with local equipment and ingredients and sold throughout the country.