By Rebecca Ekpe
Young people in Ghana face challenges in accessing reproductive health information and services, despite progress in addressing adolescent reproductive health issues.
I have been reading and researching. Here is what I found.
Access to Information and Services:
Many adolescent girls lack access to accurate information and essential services, leading to issues like early sexual debut, limited contraceptive use, and high adolescent pregnancy rates.
Empowerment Initiatives:
Organizations like UNFPA and UNICEF, in partnership with the Government of Canada, are working to empower 400,000 adolescent girls in Ghana through Phase II of their reproductive health initiative. This program aims to enhance girls’ access to quality sexual and reproductive health education, services, and advocacy opportunities.
Barriers to Access:
Common barriers include fear of side effects, rumors, myths, and misconceptions about family planning methods, as well as poor attitudes of health workers.
Legal Framework: Ghana has laws and policies in place to promote reproductive rights, including the right to access family planning services and information. However, more needs to be done to ensure that these rights are realized, particularly for young people.
Perception of Rights:
Research suggests that many adolescents in Ghana have limited understanding of their reproductive rights. A study in the Adaklu district found that 55.2% of adolescents reported less favorable perceptions of their sexual and reproductive health rights.
Utilization of Services: Utilization of reproductive health services among adolescents remains low, with factors like lack of awareness, stigma, and provider attitudes contributing to this issue.
Given these scenarios, overall, one can conclude that, while progress has been made, more efforts are needed to ensure that young people in Ghana can exercise their reproductive rights and access the information and services they need to make informed decisions about their health.
