NATIONAL YOUTH AUTHORITY, GHANA HEALTH SERVICE AND YOUNG AND LONELY FOUNDATION-YLF SENSITIZATION MEETING WITH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE AGONA WEST MUNICIPALITY
DATE: 31st March, 2023
TIME: 2:00pm
VENUE: Swedru School of Business (SWSBUS)
LEADER FROM NATIONAL YOUTH AUTHORITY
Ebenezer Pobee
Agona west
MAIN SPEAKERS:
Gilbert Kofi Germain
C.E.O / FOUNDER of Young and Lonely Foundation (YLF)
Dorcas Sam-Mensah
Nurse β Agona West Health Directorate
AGENDA FOR THE MEETING
Reproductive Health.
Gender-Based Violence.
Open discussion started with Dorcas Sam-Mensah, she talked about the topic REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH.
She explains what reproduction health is by saying it the changes that occurs in human bodies being physical or emotional when a person reaches the adolescent stage.
She said normally at adolescent stage we donβt talk to our parent instead we talk to our colleagues and what the colleagues tells us is what we use.
She continues by saying it is very important to seek for help concerning our health when we reached this stage of life.
She made mention of three (3) health issues of the adolescent stage that occur in Ghana.
1. Early pregnancy: In Agona west municipality teenage pregnancy is about 4% pregnancy in a year approximately, girls between 16-18 teenagers give birth each year.
It is good we seek for sexual education information to prevent teenage pregnancy, complications of child birth and sexual transmitted infections (STI).
Component of reproductive health to prevent teenage pregnancy:
β’ Abstinence
β’ Right to contraceptives. Examples Lydia, postinor 2, condoms etc.
Research has shown that we should not use postinor 2 more than two times in a year
Postinor 2 is an emergency pill which can be taken twice in a year to prevent unwanted pregnancy but some students or some people take it as if taking pain killer which is very bad to human health.
Postinor 2 works within 72 hours (3days), after 3 days one should not take in postinor 2 because it will not work for the body system.
Regular intake of Postinor 2 can cause infertility in the future.
2. Sexual transmitted infection STI (candidiasis, gonorrhea, syphilis): we get these infections through sexual intercourse by having two or more sexual partners.
Men normally see the signs and symptoms of the STI earlier than the ladies.
STI can also cause infertility when you donβt treat it earlier.
3. Drug abuse (alcoholism, drugs,): when someone become addicted to alcohol and drugs some of the health condition, he/she is likely to get is infertility and stroke.
How to prevent the above-mentioned health issues of the adolescent stage
1. Abstinence
2. Educate
3. Seek help from any health facilities
Second speaker was Gilbert Kofi Germain, he talked about Gender-Based Violence.
He explained the topic Gender-Based Violence has a broad structure and we are to discussed about our level, age and where we find ourselves and that is the emotional, education, religion and sexual
He first asked what is GENDER, BASED, and VIOLENCE.
GENDER β sex (male and female)
BASED β the level you found yourself
Violence β the ability/strength
Emotional side: the way someone is brought up there are certain things he or she canβt voice it out to people but rather keep it to him or herself.
Causes of Gender-Based Violence:
Economic issues
Traditional (Religion) issues: when we talk about the religion it consist of Christian, Muslim, and tradition. There are a lot of abuse going on in some churches on social media when some pastors are abusing some girls for rituals, accusing some of the girls psychologically and abusing both sex in sexual acts.
Political (Power) issues:
Sexual abuse:
How to prevent Gender-Based Violence as a student:
β’ Educate yourself on Gender-Based Violence
β’ Know how to present yourself because the way you carry yourself is how an elderly will also think of you and what you want.
Who to complain/ talk to when you find yourself in this situation
β’ School committee.
β’ DOVVSU (Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unite).
β’ Ghana police service.
CONCERNS RISED BY STUDENT
1. What are the side effect of postnor 2?
2. Who do I go to and how do I understand when I start experiencing adolescent changes?
3. If we should not be using postinor 2 and Lydia what are the other options of contraceptive for prevention and which health facilities should we go to and the way forward?
4. Is candidiasis an STI, and what are the symptoms of syphilis?
5. Postnor 2 works within 72 hours so what if you had sex and you forget to use the postnor 2 and later went and buy and use it, is it going to work?
6. With those masturbate affect STI?
7. What are the effect of masturbation?
8. Can postnor 2 make your menses stop?
9. If your parent talk to you about STI is it good and can STI affect your body system?
Because of the time some of these questions were not answered.
Report by: Selina Afriyie Bimpong β YLF