Men in Ghana, including those as old as 80 are suffering from conditions like hyper­tension and diabetes, now have a reliable treatment option for Erectile Dysfunction (ED), which is penile implant surgery.

In an interview, a Consultant Urologist and Sexologist, Dr Samuel Amanamah, shared that 52 per cent of men aged 40–70 were affected by ED in varying degrees.

He described ED, referred to as impotence, as the persistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse.

The condition, he stressed, has contributed to marital breakdowns, low self-esteem, and even infertility.

“Men in this situation can now breathe a sigh of relief,” Dr Amanamah said, adding that, “Age or chronic conditions like diabetes are no longer barriers to treatment. Even 80-year-olds have successfully undergone the procedure.”

The penile implant was considered the final treatment option for men when all other inter­ventions, including oral medications, injectables, and medical devices fail.

The procedure involved inserting a silicon rod into the erectile tissues of the penis, providing an immediate and controllable erection, stating that there were two types of implants: malleable, which is always firm, and inflatable, which allows the user to regulate erections.

Dr Amanamah mentioned that the surgery required only a small 4cm incision beneath the penis.

“The incision site is barely visible after heal­ing,” he said, adding that the minimally invasive procedure usually lasts an hour. Patients are typi­cally discharged within one or two days.

Aesthetically, the penis remains unchanged af­ter the procedure, and it is almost impossible to distinguish between one with an implant and one without, he noted.

“Functionally, the implant is even superior to natural erections,” he underlined. “It can last over 20 years and allows for intercourse as often as the patient desires.”

He added that patients can still father children after the procedure, provided they do not have underlying fertility issues.

“Some patients who suffered from 10 years of infertility have gone on to have twins after the surgery,” he noted, adding that others have reconciled with spouses after being previously divorced due to ED.

Although complications were possible, the success rate of penile implants was as high as 93 per cent, Dr Amanamah emphasised, stating that occasional erectile failure does not qualify as ED.

He also outline that the dysfunction must be persistent. “Some men start with a good erection but lose it during intercourse. That still counts as ED.”

Furthermore, he explained that ED can stem from various causes, including cardiovascular issues, neurological disorders, hormonal imbal­ances, and chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

Psychological factors such as unresolved marital problems also play a role. Conditions like pria­pism, that is, prolonged erection often linked to sickle cell disease or abuse of sex-enhancement drugs could also result in ED if not promptly treated.

Moreover, Dr Amanamah underscored the im­portance of treating the root cause noting that “simply giving medication without addressing underlying issues only delays the problem,” and added that “effective treatment must be holis­tic.”

“When oral or injectable medications and medical devices fail, the penile implant remains a safe and long-term solution for restoring sexual function and quality of life,” he noted.

 From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua

The Mental Health Authority of Ghana has recorded rising psy­chological distress cases among teenage girls in the country.

The rise, according to the authority, is linked to academic pressure, family issues, gender-based violence, and isolation.

This was disclosed by Victoria Nae­ma Abdulai, the founder of the One Project Africa Foundation (OPAF), a non-profit organisation focused on empowering women and girls.

Ms Abdulai said this at a men­tal health awareness session organised by the foundation for students of the Accra Girls Senior High School in Accra.

It was held under the theme “Empowering Her Mind, Voice and Power: Fostering a Resil­ient Tomorrow for the Girl Child through Mental Wellness,” which was aimed at building self-aware­ness, promote emotional healing, and encourage resilience among young girls.

She stated that mental health was not a luxury but the foundation on which every girl’s future should be built

Ms Abdulai said despite the rising need, mental health remains one of the most misunderstood and neglect­ed issues in our society.

She said without mental wellness, young girls will continue to struggle silently with learning, dreaming, and relating to others, warning that the lack of attention to girls’ mental health is costing society their poten­tial.

She urged students to embrace their emotions and seek help when struggling. “You are not weak for having emo­tions. You are human. Seeking help does not make you a failure, it makes you courageous.”

Touching on what the foundation does, Ms Abdulai said the foundation teaches girls how to pass exams but not how to process pain, obey instruc­tions but not how to handle rejection. We are obsessed with excellence but ignore the exhaustion.”

A Mental health practitioner and addiction specialist, Esther Kyewaah Opoku, on her part stated that mental health was not separate from general well-being but central to it. “With­out your mental health, you are not healthy,” she said.

She mentioned that adolescence is a fragile period, with the brain still developing until age 25.

She disclosed that one in seven adolescent girls in Ghana has a mental disorder, with 26 per cent experienc­ing depression, 29.8 per cent emotion­al distress, and 14.8 per cent suffer trauma or behavioural issues.

She also blamed these conditions on peer pressure, bullying, sexual abuse, and toxic comparisons driven by social media. “We are sitting on a time bomb,” she said, urging early inter­vention and compassion.

According to her, adolescence is a critical stage of mental and emotional development, during which the exec­utive brain, or forebrain, continues to form until age 25.

“This period is filled with vulnerabil­ities that, if unmanaged, can lead to lifelong challenges,” she said.

Ms Opoku therefore called for compassion, peer support, and con­tinuous education on mental health to break the cycle of silence and stigma, particularly among young girls, saying “nobody should feel alone or hope­less.”

 By Stephanie Birikorang