Queen mother urges prioritization of sex education over counseling

The Queen Mother of Sasieme, a community in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, Mama Nyive III, has advised parents and stakeholders to prioritize healthy sex education over premarital sex counseling.

Speaking at a brief ceremony to mark World Menstrual Health & Hygiene Day, she stressed the need for healthy menstrual practices and education to promote teenage healthy sex rather than focusing on premarital sex counseling.

This year’s celebration saw the distribution of free sanitary pads to young adolescent girls, with support from Young And Smart Ghana, an organization made up of a group of health professionals that educate young girls on menstrual health and hygiene.

Mama Nyive advised the young girls to prioritize their education and to seek advice from their parents and responsible adults instead of resorting to social media and peer pressure, which has the potential of ruining their future.

Menstrual Hygiene Day takes place on 28 May every year. It's a chance to highlight the importance of menstrual care and raise awareness about the issues faced by those who don't have access to menstrual products.

Access to menstrual products, safe, hygienic spaces in which to use them, and the right to manage menstruation without shame or stigma are essential for anyone who menstruates. But for too many, that's not the reality.

In a period-friendly world, the stigma and taboos surrounding menstruation are history.

It is a world where everyone can access the products, period education, and period-friendly infrastructure they need.

The 2024 Menstrual Hygiene Day was celebrated on the theme: "Together for a Period Friendly World."