Use of contraceptives on the increase - Doctor

Accra, May 7, GNA - Although the response to calls for family planning has been encouraging over the years, a lot more has to be done to achieve favourable results, Dr. (Mrs.) Gloria Quansah, Programme Manager for Family Planning at the Ministry of Health, said on Monday. In an interview wit the Ghana News Agency on the overview of family planning in Ghana, she noted that there was an increase in response to the call for family planning.

Dr Quansah said the acceptance rate had increased from 22.6 per cent in 2004 to 25.4 per cent in 2005 with Upper West Region recording a significant increase in coverage from 44.6 per cent in 2004 to 53.9 per cent in 2005.

She noted that acceptance of couples and women in general to use contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases had been a contributory factor to the success story. Dr. Quansah noted that of all methods, condoms were the choice that provided dual protection against pregnancy and STDs. "Therefore use a male or female condom with another family planning method to protect you against STDs and HIV/AIDS as well as unwanted pregnancy," she advised.

She said family planning should not be the concern of the Ghana Health Service and the government alone but the business of every individual.