Madam Emma Delali Forley, the Regional Adolescent Health Coordinator for the Central Regional Health Directorate, has highlighted the serious consequences of teenage pregnancy among adolescent girls in the Central Region.
Speaking on ATL FM’s Atlantic Wave during the discussion titled “Your Future, Your Choice: Navigating Adolescence with Confidence” as part of the Afahye celebrations, she emphasized the importance of adolescents receiving accurate information about their reproductive health.
“For adolescents, accessing the right information and services is crucial, when they rely on friends or false information, they may not be able to negotiate for safer sex, leading to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or unintended pregnancies. Both have lasting consequences on their lives.”
Madam Forley further explained that pregnancy during adolescence carries significant health risks, underscoring the need for proper medical care stating “Pregnancy comes with a lot of health complications, adolescent girls need to visit healthcare facilities to ensure they navigate pregnancy safely, delivering a healthy baby and maintaining their own health. However, if the pregnancy is not well-managed, the girl might have to leave school, and she may not have the financial resources or skills to care for her child.”
As the festive season approaches, she encouraged adolescents to take preventive measures revealing that “For those who are not sexually active, we encourage abstinence. However, for those who are sexually active, all healthcare facilities are open 24/7 for reproductive health services.
“Family planning is available through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and HIV testing and counseling are free. If you can’t abstain, condoms are readily available, just make sure you use them properly.”
During the same discussion, Professor Eugene Kufuor Maafo Darteh of the Department of Population and Health at the University of Cape Coast expressed concerns about the potential for older men to exploit young adolescents during the Afahye celebrations, often under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
He urged festival organizers to implement preventive measures to protect young people’s reproductive health, warning that “Age mixing is a serious challenge, Older men, with more sexual experience and exposure to risks, often engage in sexual transactions with young adolescents who lack the power to negotiate safe sex. Festival organizers and the community must be vigilant to prevent this and protect our adolescents.”
He cited evidence from the UK, noting that “two out of five young girls engage in risky sexual behavior during festivals due to intoxication. We must ensure that our adolescent girls are safer than they were before the festival.”
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Source: Angelina Riley Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
