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Apathy in male involvement in Reproductive Health activities has been noted as a major bane to achieving the Millennium Development Goal Five (MDG-5) which is about the improvement of Maternal Health.
A Public Health Nurse at the Sunyani Municipal Health Directorate, Mrs. Sarah Adjapong noted this at a day’s training workshop for opinion leaders drawn from eight (8) districts within the Brong-Ahafo Region under the Safe Abortion Advocacy Fund (SAAF) project which is being undertaken by Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF).
According to Mrs. Adjapong the surest way to achieve the MDG5 is to have effective male involvement in the Reproductive Health programmes.
She urged husbands to take keen interest in reproductive health activities to ensure a healthy and sound family, as well as social and economic liberation.
Mrs. Adjapong was of the view that when husbands accept and get involve actively in family planning methods, it helps reduce economic burdens because the couple have enough time to undergo their respective career activities without any unexpected or unplanned pregnancy to distract their focus.
She indicated that most maternal death were due to delay in decision making because of lack of support from most husbands to wives.
The Senior Public Health nurse noted that naturally adhering to effective reproductive health or family planning promotes happiness and sexual satisfaction in marriage.
She disclosed that exclusive breastfeeding is a natural method of family planning since it prevents unwanted or unplanned pregnancy.
Participants at the workshop, mostly the men acknowledged the need to support their wives to adhere strictly to effective family planning methods.
They asked questions on the variety of family planning methods and how effective they could use them to avoid having unwanted pregnancies to help manage their economic needs efficiently.
Most of the female participants also commended GLOMEF for the sensitization on the need to assist their girl children who got pregnant at their school going age to seek safe abortion services from a well-accredited provider in order not to encounter complications or sometimes deaths.
Ms. Yaa Asantewaa, a Nurse at Yawhima Health Center introduced participants to the various methods of family planning including the wearing of condoms for both male and female, urging them to be bold and talk to their children about reproductive health in their respective homes to avoid teenage pregnancies that might result to illegal abortion.
