Television influence contributes to pre-marital sex - Nurse

Mrs. Christiana Akua Konadu, a Public health nurse in the Jaman South District of the Brong-Ahafo Region, has appealed to parents to monitor and restrict the television viewing contents of their teenage daughters to guard them against pre-marital sex..

She observed with regret that many local and foreign movies showed on television channels contained nude and pornographic elements, and if teenagers are not restricted and are allowed to watch them, such pictures wet their appetite for sex and enhance their pleasure and desires.

Addressing students of Our Lady of Providence Girls Senior High School at a forum at Drobo on Thursday, Mrs Konadu said most girls are introduced to pre-marital sex through television influences.

The forum was organized by Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), a human right Non-Governmental Organisation, and aimed at sensitizing the students on unsafe abortion and other Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Mrs. Konadu explained that as boys and girls grow to adolescence, naturally their desire for sexual intercourse is higher, as they experience changes in their bodies.

This period, the Public Health Nurse noted, is the time parents ought to ensure that they get closer to their girls, develop interest in whatever they do, guide and provide them with necessities such as pads, panties, underwear, braziers and other upkeep.

Mrs. Konadu emphasized that at their adolescent period, girls should not be denied sex education, as most of them cannot abstain from sexual intercourse, and stressed the need to encourage those who cannot stay away from sex, to use contraceptives to avoid pregnancy and unsafe abortion.

She said teenage pregnancy is very high in the area, and attributed it to parental neglect, negative peer and media influences.

Mrs. Konadu appealed to girls with unwanted pregnancies not to feel shy, but visit recognized nearby health facilities for counseling and guidance, as unsafe abortion had damaged the wombs and kidney of many victims.

She said many district and regional hospitals across the country perform legal abortions, and advised parents who encourage their pregnant daughters to apply herbs and other concoctions to terminate their pregnancies, to refrain from such acts, as they can die or get lifetime complications.

Mr. Victor Fosu Boamah, Operations Manager of GLOMEF, explained that according to a report by the Ministry of Health, 16,182 girls and young women had an abortion in 2011 in the country, as against 10,785 in 2010, 8,717 in 2009.

According to the Adolescent Health and Development Programme 2011 report by the Ministry of Health, 216 cases of abortion involved girls aged between 10 and 14 were recorded in 2009, 331 in 010and 582 in 2011, he said.

In the case of girls between 15 to 20 years, 5,525 abortion cases were recorded in 2009, 6,679 in 2010 and 7,800 in 2011, Mr Boamah added.

He explained that the NGO with support from Safe Abortion Fund is undertaking a three-year project to help improve young women and girls access to safe abortion in seven districts in the region.

Sister Anthonamma Polavarapu, Assistant Headmistress of the school appealed for the completion of an abandoned girl’s dormitory and a classroom block which started seven years ago.