A retired District Director of Health Services, Madam Ellen Sarpong Akorsah, has stressed on the need for the youth to avoid sexual activities such as masturbation, oral and anal sex, which could result in serious reproductive and general health problems.

According to Madam Sarpong Akorsah, “The vagina is a delicate part of the body and if the necessary care is not taken, it would make the female to suffer from infectious diseases that would affect her reproduction in the future.”

The retired nurse was educating youth groups from some six municipalities and districts in the Volta Region at a seminar organised in the capital, Ho.

The seminar was organised by the Volta Regional Secretariat of the National Youth Authority (NYA), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), as part of its long term programme to support the youth to prepare adequately for their journey into adulthood.

Madam Akorsah pointed out that issues relating to adolescent reproductive health ought to be taken very seriously, as well as regular education on same to help guide the youth as they transit into adulthood.

She expressed concern over the negative development in some communities, where some parents encourage their teenage girls to go into early sexual activities, a development that is harmful to their health and well being.

She said early sex was not healthy to minors, since it poses challenges to their holistic growth and development, adding that parents needed to develop an interest in adolescent lifestyles instead.

According to her, some parents, particularly mothers, tend to invariably introduce their girl child to early sex anytime they refuse to supply their basic needs such as underwear, and sanitary pads among others.

Being specific, she said responses like “Don’t you know you are old enough to start buying these little, little things for yourself. Look at Ama! She buys her own shirts, let alone pants and pads. Go out there and make money for yourself, and stop worrying me,” push girls into early sex.

The retired health practitioner continued that the time had come for parents to recognise that they were exposing their daughters to sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, early parenting, school drop-outs and the likes that severely affect their development.

Parents were then urged to play active roles that would complement the government’s efforts at equipping the youth to become responsible adults.

A recent research finding, which she referred to, made a very disturbing revelation that teenage girls invite boys for sex, as they (girls) wouldn’t be able go to boys in their rooms for the ‘fantasy’.

The research finding disclosed that if the boys failed take advantage of the spare moment, the girls would then start to shout “You are not a man! Today, I am sleeping on your bed and you cannot do anything to me. If you think you are a man do something.”

The Volta Regional Director of the NYA, Mr Yao Semode, on his part, said the theme “Promoting Sustainable Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights through Effective Youth Participation,” was very appropriate.

According to him, the theme was carefully chosen to create awareness on the need for the youth to enjoy regular education on issues relating to their reproductive health and rights that go with responsibility.

Mr Semode said adolescent health education was regarded by his outfit as crucial to the development of the youth,

therefore, partnering the UNPF to organise the seminars and other programmes was in the right direction.

To him, educating the youth on issues of their reproductive health, and dangers associated with early sexual activities, would promote their growth and development.

He disclosed that that the authority in the Volta Region had targeted to train over 100 youth leaders on adolescent reproductive health issues to enable the beneficiaries also to carry out effective education in their respective communities.

The Volta Regional Director of the NYA stated that the seminar would help reduce teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortions in society, and challenged the beneficiaries of the programme to take their lessons more seriously to enable them make positive impacts on issues relating to adolescent reproductive health, as well as the dangers relating to early sex.

The seminar, which was the fifth in a series, trained 48 youth from the various districts.