C/R: 578 pregnant in Asikuma Odobeng Brakwa in 7 months, drop out of school

A total of 578 students have gotten themselves pregnant over their inability to buy sanitary pad in the Asikuma Odobeng Brakwa District of the Central Region leading to them dropping out of school.

The young girls are said to have been impregnated by cocoa Farmers, taxi drivers and pragya riders as they exchange sanitary pad with sex.

Report gathered indicate that most female the pupils in the Basic Schools in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District exchange sex with sanitary pads because their parents are unable to afford them.

Meanwhile, Florence Adjei, the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District Public Health Nurse in an interview with GHone News said the high rate of teenage pregnancy getting out of hands, accusing Cocoa Farmers, Taxi Drivers and pragyea riders.

She observed that more students were being impregnated especially after the cocoa season when the Cocoa Farmers have received.

Florence Adjei disclosed that 16 teenage pregnancies were recorded among pupils between the age of 10-14 years, a situation which is worrying as Asikua Odoben Brakwa ranked first in the Central Region.

Cocoa Farmers, taxi drivers and pragya riders are said to use the buying of sanitary pads for the girls as a bait to sleep with them and get them pregnant.

Some of the Pupils who spoke to Ghone News, appealed to the government to reduce the taxes on sanitary pads to enable them to afford it.

According to them, they sometimes use cloths, handkerchiefs and Toilet Roll during their Menstruation which doesn’t promote good health when me.

They confirmed that, they sometimes have sex with men to get money to buy sanitary pads ahead of their Menstruation.

They appealed to Government, Non-Governmental organizations, Philanthropists to support them with Sanitary pads to enable them to stay away from exchanging sex for sanitary pads.

Mr. Robert Dugan, the Chief Executive Officer of Edufirst Foundation Ghana, said she is not surprised Pupils are being impregnated in the Community because they can’t buy Sanitary pads due to the current economic hardship that is preventing parents from buying the pads for their wards.

He was speaking when he donated over 500 sanitary pads to Pupils of Breman Benin Roman Catholic School in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District of the Central Region.