Patronage of female condoms low in Central Region

The Central Regional Technical Group on Family Planning has expressed worry about the low education and patronage of female condoms.

At a meeting to discuss the progress of family planning activities in the region, the group noted that while many did not know how to use the female condoms others had not even heard about it.

They said it was important that all available family planning methods were efficiently deployed to help communities manage and plan their families.

The Deputy Director of Nursing Service, Public Health of the Ghana Health Service, Madam Beatrice Essilfie, in a presentation, said the female condoms were not being patronised fully.

The Programmes Coordinator at the Ghana Health Service, Mrs Mavis Narh, said facilities that had been given female condoms never ran out of the condoms.
“People are not taking them so we never run out of them,” she stated, adding that education must be intensified to whip interest in its use.

Friendly corners

Mrs Narh said as part of efforts to get the youth to access family planning services and sex education, 46 adolescent-friendly corners had been set up in the region to encourage adolescents to adopt more responsible sexual behaviour.

The Focal Person for the United Nations Population Fund activities (UNFPA) in the region, Mr Allan Paintsil, called for activities from the various departments aimed at promoting family planning services and education on responsible sexual behaviour.

Male inclusion

The Regional Director of the Department of Gender and Social Protection, Mrs Thywill Kpe, called on men to understand the implications of huge families on the health and well-being of families, particularly women, and to support women in deciding on family planning methods.

Participants expressed concern about high incidence of teenage pregnancies in the region and further noted that it was better for adolescents to understand the dangers of sex and take steps to live responsible sexual lives than not to be given   information to enable them to make responsible choices.