Change condoms after each sexual round to prevent STIs - Health Director advises youth

The Health Director of the Ayawaso West Municipality, Abena Yeboah, has issued a crucial piece of advice to young people, urging them to change condoms after each round of sexual intercourse.

According to her, while condoms are effective contraceptives that offer protection against sexually transmitted diseases, the unsanitary misuse of condoms by some young individuals, poses risks to their sexual health.

The senior medical doctor emphasized that using a condom multiple times increases the likelihood of exposure to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which can have severe consequences on one's well-being. She underscored the importance of changing condoms to maintain protection against diseases.

"Every condom has a probability of getting torn. This is because you are not supposed to use condoms for too long. Once you are done using it and you ejaculate, you take it off and throw it away. There is no time limit for wearing a condom, but after you climax, just take it off. After one round, use another condom for the next," Adomonlie.com quoted Dr. Abena Yeboah.

The Health Director emphasized that the country has witnessed a rapid increase in STI cases due to unhealthy sexual practices.

She noted that it's crucial for individuals to be aware that all condoms carry a risk of tearing during or after intercourse, with one of the contributing factors being the repeated use of a single condom.

Furthermore, Dr. Abena Yeboah highlighted a gap in sexual education, particularly among students.

She noted that adolescents often rely on social media and peer discussions to learn about sex, contributing to the rise in STIs among young people.

“Now that people see a lot of things on social media and they want to practice things like oral sex and a number of unsafe practices, we need to go out there and incorporate reproductive health education into our teachings,” she mentioned.

Addressing the role of religious leaders in sexual education, Dr. Yeboah encouraged them to educate their congregations about sex and promote the responsible use of contraceptives.

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