Young boys and girls are engaging in too much sex – Marie Stopes

According to Patricia Antwi Bosiako of Marie Stopes Health Center, young girls and boys have sex as early as 15-years-old.

In an interview with Berla Mundi on the 'New Day' show, she said the increasing numbers of teenage pregnancies are because young boys and girls are having too much sex.

“A demographic health survey in 2014 said that about 11% of women between ages of 25 to 49 had had sex at age 15, and it further increased to 44% at age 18. So the reality now is that our boys and girls are having more sex,” she said.

The initiative is to champion Adolescent reproductive health, educate the youth on sexual health and the factors that contribute to the rise in teenage pregnancies and reduce the rate of abortion in society.

The Deputy Director of operations at the health centre told Berla that increased numbers are because of the absence of education.

She compared the number of pregnant teenagers as three full stadia as an alarming cause for worry regarding the future of the youth in the country.

‘The reality is that education is key, and we need to educate our women and girls. We have a healthy community, we need to make sure that we have well-resourced persons and imagine if these young girls are hundred and seven thousand (107,000). I think the population of the stadium is about forty thousand, so that is 3 stadia full. Can you imagine Accra sports stadium by 3, full of pregnant young girls? Who are going to lose their aspirations, dreams and goals, and some are going to be vagabond and engage in all social vices that do not work well for us,” she added.

The ARH advocate also implored parents to engage their wards in the education of sexual health at the adolescent stage and to do away with the culture of shyness since that serves as the guide to adolescent reproductive health and achieving sustainable development goals of the girl child.