SHS Girl at ARYN Seminar: “We are told that having sex can lessen the discomfort of our periods.”
When the Ashanti Regional Youth Network (ARYN) sought information from senior high school students about the causes of the high incidence of adolescent pregnancies in the Ashanti Region, it was both an illuminating session and a moment of advocacy.
While some students cited urban legends about having sex curing menstrual cramps and preventing future fibroids, others revealed that their peers who abstained from sexual activity were seen as uninteresting and outmoded.
One student said, “They claim if we go have sex before your menses starts, it will reduce your agony. Those of us with severe menstrual cycles.”
They claim it’s enjoyable. They claim that if you don’t participate, you might develop fibroid. If you don’t participate, they will also call you “John,” a different kid warned Ivan Heathcote – Fumador of Ultimate News.
In order to lessen the massive burden of teenage pregnancy in the Ashanti Region, the Ashanti Region Youth Network has outreach programs in senior high schools.
A staggering 89,856 of the 555,575 teen pregnancies that occurred in Ghana between 2016 and 2020 occurred in the Ashanti Region; to contain this amount, the Baba Yara Sports stadium would need to be more than twice as large.
While the Ashanti Region has led the nation in teen pregnancy rates for three years running, it is thought that up to 30% of schoolgirls between the ages of 14 and 19 drop out of school each year as a result of pregnancy.
The incidence increases in underprivileged areas when females exchange the act for a pittance to purchase personal items.
Students are exposed to seminars on sexual reproductive health and the need of making wise decisions to avoid unintended pregnancies and STDs through ARYN initiatives run in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Savior Mensah, a facilitator and Maristopes International’s Chief Education Officer, told Ultimate News that if young girls had access to the correct information, the enormous rates of unintended pregnancies and lifelong sexual difficulties could be reduced.
“We instructed them on abstinence as well as other organic self-defense techniques. They now understand the risks of engaging in it, including the possibility of losing their fertility, their uterus, or even their life. For those who are still adamant about moving forward, which they already are, they will take the proper precautions to safeguard themselves, he said.
The menstrual cycle, pregnancy problems for developing bodies, and a variety of STDs were discussed with the participants.
They were permitted to participate in focus groups that discussed the variables influencing the young sex craze and a well-patronized questions and answers session.
According to Linda Fremah, president of the Ashanti Youth Network, females respond better to youth-led campaigning for sexual and reproductive health.
“We leave these advocacies to teachers, but the impact is not truly felt,” she said. Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Programs coordinator Florence Agyemang Mensah explained that the Network, which is an amalgamation of recognized youth groups in the region, is expected to visit several more senior high schools in an effort to remove the Ashanti Region from the distinction of having the highest teenage pregnancy statistics for the past three consecutive years.
Ellen Nimo
