The Public Relations Officer for the National Population Council, Solace Esi Amankwah has alleged that some men in parts of the northern region are using sanitary pads to lure young girls into sex.
Speaking on Tv3’s New Day show, she noted that the reason why most girls fall victims to the ploy of these men is because they are unable to afford the cost of sanitary pads.
She added that sanitary pads for sex has become the new norm in some parts of the northern region.
“In the North, for instance, people use sanitary pads to lure girls into sex. And it is causing a lot of problems.”
Ms Solace Esi Amankwah bemoaned inadequate funds from the government to help support the communities with enough health centres with adequate materials to aid the girl child during the adolescent stage.
“If our government officials will come on board and the MP will come and promise dams and hospitals and all the tangible things. And the MP will say that this community have the highest rate of teenage pregnancy, in my manifesto, I will build a health centre purposely for information and knowledge seeking and have training on reproductive health by the 4-year time it would have reduced”. She stated.
According to her, politicians in all constituencies should prioritize Adolescent Reproductive Health in their manifesto to help solve these problems of young girls.
Commenting on the increased rate of teenage pregnancy, National Population Council PRO said that the unavailability of the right personnel and information is a big issue for the adolescent child.
“If the girl child has sought information, and the right information is available, and she has had that, the girl will not become pregnant. The absence of the right information is the problem for most girls. Because when they get to the adolescent stage, and their physical body begins to transform, they seek information about what is happening. and then they get people to misinform them then they will end up doing the right thing at the right time”. she added
According to the Advocate, the health centres also contribute to the stereotype of teenage pregnancy and indirectly drives the adolescent from seeking knowledge on reproductive health. She recounts poor services, which she has experienced in a big hospital. She encouraged all health workers to be motherly to teenage girls who find themselves in such situations.
“Our health centres should be friendly. I went to this health facility in Ghana here, and they brought a girl on a stretcher bleeding. They directly questioned her in her difficult moment rather than taking care of her. I asked the nurse that she take care of her and afterwards educate her on matters of abortion”.