Don't prostitute because of oil - STMA

Young school girls in the oil city should not abandon their education to become prostitutes, according to executive member of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), Mr John Davis.

He said instead of leaving school and adopting commercial sex work, they should rather take their education seriously because it holds the key to a successful future.

In an interview with The Finder, Mr John Davis, who is also a member of the social sub-committee of the assembly, said the findings made by the committee regarding the use of minors in sex trade in the city was very alarming.

“As a member of the social sub-committee of the assembly, I can tell you that we have discovered that many minors in the city are being introduced into the illicit trade, and that is very serious,” he lamented.

He urged young girls to distance themselves from people who might influence them into the trade, adding that parents, in particular, have a duty to protect their children against such activities.

He observed that there had been an increase in the illegal sex business following an upsurge in economic activities in the metropolis, and condemned the introduction of minors into the illicit trade by some of the seasoned prostitutes.

“As an assembly, we have an obligation to educate the people, to tell them what is happening in order to create the awareness for the people to take appropriate measures for their well-being.

“This explains why we are making our findings on new trends in commercial sex business known so parents will be in the position to take the take the right action to protect the moral values of their children,” he stated.

Mr Davis urged the media to sensitise the people in various communities in the metropolis about the diseases and social canker associated with the practice of prostitution to discourage the youth from patronising it.

He said apart from the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which has been described as one of the most dangerous diseases the world has ever known, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that are not well known to the public are equally dangerous to the health of people, and the best way to avoid contracting the various diseases is to abstain.

Meanwhile, the Western Regional co-ordinator of HIV/AIDS, Dr Roland Sowah, has through various radio programmes urged the youth of the region to be mindful of the STDs that come with unprotected sexual activities.