'Refrain From Irresponsible Sexual Behaviour'

The Ga West Municipal Health Director Dr Cynthia Kwakye-Maclean has advised the youth to patronize adolescent sexual reproductive health services in the country.

She said if the youth did that religiously they would not indulge in irresponsible sexual behaviour.

Dr Kwakye-Maclean was addressing an interactive theatre performance on Monday at Amasaman, to climax the second phase of “The Stepping into Action Project” (TEWIFAC).

The TEWIFAC aims at creating awareness among the youth, using drama about the reality of HIV/AIDS and the consequences of unwanted pregnancies.

Dr Kwakye-Maclean said the current prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS in the municipality hovered around the national rate of 2.6 per cent.

“We are hoping that through peer education capacity building, and other health promotional activities, we can bring about behavioural change among the youth, and reduce the prevalent rate to below two per cent.” She said.

She said there was the need to direct the youth into adulthood free of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

She disclosed that Amasaman hospital would soon give Anti retroviral therapy services and urged the youth to do voluntary testing to enable them to know their HIV/AIDS status.

Mr Amano-Mpianim, monitoring manager of Theatre for Change a drama group, earlier in his address, said theatre centres would be established in the municipality where young people would use a variety of interactive theatre techniques in workshops and performances to advocate behavioural and policy change.

He said his outfit would liaise with the Municipal Assembly to ensure that, young people can access youth friendly services, and also take HIV counselling and testing.

He said theatre for change had worked in Ghana for five years and the Ga West municipality for the past two years.

Mr Amano-Mpianim said his outfit has educated over 4000 people through 29 interactive theatre performances on HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies.

He said 54 participants took the voluntary testing for HIV/AIDS for the first time in their lives and were also taught to negotiate safer sex  (abstinence, or condom use).

He expressed his appreciation to ICCO and Kirt in Actie, a Netherlands based development organisations for providing them with funds.