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The Central Region Public Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has revealed that some adolescents resort to drink weedicides to abort pregnancies.
According to the Regional Director, Public Health, Dr. Kwabena Sarfo, the reports received on a daily basis was worrying.
He added that a comprehensive sexual education needs to be intensified to reach all, particularly, the adolescents.
Speaking at a day's workshop for selected chemical sellers from six districts of the Central Region to educate them on family planning methods and services to help increase coverage, he said "I have had reports of pregnant adolescents adopting all manner of methods to abort pregnancies. One of such, which is new for us, is the use of weedicides. Some pregnant adolescents are drinking weedicides to abort pregnancies."
He stated that many of the youth were sexually active but were not ready for the pregnancies, therefore, resort to weedicides.
Dr. Sarfo stressed that using weedicides to abort pregnancies would kill many if it was not stopped through education.
"Many people are contracting sexually transmitted diseases, getting unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions and it is important that we all step up our game to get family planning services to as many people as possible," he said.
