By Mildred Siabi-Mensah/Veronica Baffour Kyei
Takoradi, April 26, GNA – Dr. Gifty Amugi, the Western Regional Director of Public Health has advised young people to delay sexual activities to enable them to focus on the development of their full potentials.
She said delaying sexual activities was not a denial at that tender age, but an opportunity to promote a healthier population particularly among the girl child who often suffered from early sex, resulting in unprepared pregnancies and associated risky behaviours.
Dr. Amugi said this at a media engagement on how the media could support the service in educating the public on Comprehensive Abortion Care and Sexual Rights and Reproductive Health Rights among adolescents and adult population.
She said delayed sexual activities helped women to stay in school and as well climb higher on the academic ladder, become more and more empowered to take informed decisions and eventually contribute better to the socioeconomic development of their families and society in general.
She therefore called on men to respect the sexual rights of women and assist them to achieve their goals in life.
Dr Amugi said: “Everyone; both men and women have sexual rights that must be respected…and so couples, and those in relationship must continually discuss these issues to avoid unintended pregnancies.”
She said the 1994 Conference on Population and Development and the subsequent development of the Standard Protocols on Comprehensive Abortion Care enjoined any individual deserving such a service to walk through approved health centres to be attended to by a professional.
Often, unsafe abortion had become a social crisis to more women who had used unapproved means and medication to terminate such pregnancies, the Director pointed out.
In the Region, two women died of the situation, which according to health professionals could have been prevented.
She said women have rights to life, health, bodily integrity, safe motherhood, Family Planning, infant and children survival, growth and development, abortion care among others to ensure a complete physical, mental and social well-being.
Ms. Naomi Acquah, the Focal Person on the Comprehensive Abortion Care programme was saddened that girls between the ages of 15 and 19 were getting pregnant and adopting unconventional means to terminate such pregnancies, thus loosing many precious lives in the process.
She said the Ghana Health Service had therefore, institutionalized safe abortion care services in all health facilities to offer the required counseling and services.
GNA