Stop teaching abstinence and teach protection; your ‘old style’ rather increasing HIV, teenage pregnancy — GES told

Agatha Johna, Chief Executive Officer of Care Love Foundations has criticized the Ghana Education Service's abstinence-only approach to sex education.

She said the education management body’s old strategy has failed to curb rising teenage pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) such as HIV/AIDS.

The sexual health advocate said at a workshop in Cape Coast that "GES should accept that their abstinence strategy has now worked, hence the increase in teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among teenagers."

She argued that "the world has gotten to a stage where asking teenagers to abstain from sex would not work."

Instead, Ms. Johna called for the GES to "review their strategy, move from abstinence to protection, and teach the kids how to properly use condoms to prevent teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections."

Government data shows newly diagnosed HIV cases are disproportionately affecting females, with two-thirds of new cases reported in women.

Meanwhile, Ghana has failed to meet its 2022 target of decreasing adolescent pregnancy rates, with the figures actually rising to 15.2% compared to the 14% goal.