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Research reveals: Sex for sanitary pads cause of teenage pregnancy in Wa East
A research conducted in some parts of the Upper West Region relative to teenage pregnancy has produced a “very worrying result” which should be of concern to all.
It is noted that the inability of some girls in the Wa East District of the region to raise money for sanitary pads has compelled them to engage in premarital sex in exchange of money to buy the pad.
This practice has disturbingly resulted in high rate of teenage pregnancy in the area.
The research which was titled “Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region: A synthesis of Research Evidence” was conducted by the Regional Youth Parliament with support from Plan International Ghana.
It was revealed that 83 percent of adolescent-girl respondents who participated in the research said they indulged in premarital sex with males for money to buy sanitary pads.
According to the study, some of the girls were not provided with pads by their parents who had relegated their responsibilities to the backyard making it difficult for them to get supply of their basic needs such as sanitary pads.
Explaining the details of the study to The Spectator Newspaper at Wa, the Speaker of the Youth Parliament, Mr James Baba Anabiga said that the study included 300 respondents comprising parents and guardians as well as adolescent girls in the community.
He said most of the girls confessed to have slept with a men in exchange of money to buy sanitary pad or were still sleeping with men for money to buy such basic necessities.
“When we have about 57 per cent of parents reneging on their responsibilities due to poverty or sheer negligence, then we will have such a situation at hand because menstruation is a biological consequence which happens every month whether the girl is prepared for it or not”, he said.
He explained that some of the girls said they had to stay away from school during menstruation and it affected their studies but with the help of the men, they were able to buy sanitary pads and ensured that they stayed in school.
“But to what extent is this feasible when our study uncovered that 41 per cent of girls who indulged in such premarital sexual activities ended up getting pregnant, and out of that number, 34 per cent are married off at very tender ages whereas eight per cent were compelled by the circumstances at hand to drop out of school”, he lamented.
Mr. Anabiga again said that in spite of efforts to increase sexual education to adolescent girls, most parents did not appreciate the fact that some of their daughters were exposed to sex at very early stages of their life until they showed up pregnant.
“Wa East is one of the poorest districts in the region yet existing data and media reports indicate that early and unprotected sexual practices by adolescents are a common trend that exposes them to many reproductive health challenges such as unplanned teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections and diseases (STIs/STDs)”, he said.
He said the study suggested that to help solve the problem, parents, District Assembly, Member of Parliament for the area as well as government should initiate moves that would help support the girls and protect them from unscrupulous men.
“Parents must perform their responsibilities to the core, bearing in mind that each child they bring forth is their responsibility; the district assembly and office of the MP should support girls with sanitary pads as well as provide funding for programmes aimed at educating the girls on sexual and reproductive health”, he said.
On the whole, the speaker of the Youth Parliament called on government to introduce free sanitary pad policy to ensure that girls in rural and deprived communities had access to the sanitary towels without having to pay for them as he believed such policies would save the girls from engaging in promiscuity in order to raise money for the pad.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
Four tricycle operators, popularly known as ‘Pragya’, have been prosecuted and fined GH¢600 each equivalent to 50 penalty units by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court for obstructing public roads at the Agbogbloshie Market.
The offenders, who were arrested by Public Health Officers of the AMA during a routine enforcement exercise, pleaded guilty to the offence and were subsequently convicted by the court.
The four operators were among the 21 offenders recently arrested at the Agbogbloshie Market for various sanitation and public order violations, including selling on open drains, obstructing walkways, and trading at unauthorised locations.
Speaking after the court proceedings, the Head of Public Health at the AMA, Madam Florence Kuukyi, said the court was lenient with the offenders since it was their first appearance, hence the fine, and warned that subsequent offenders would face stiffer penalties, including imprisonment.
The Ghana Police Service has arrested a man believed to be behind a series of robberies and killings of taxi drivers in the Greater Accra Region.
According to a statement from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the suspect, Peter Akakpo, also known as “Dompe,” was arrested on October 13, 2025, at Kasoa-Domeabra.
Police say he is an ex-convict and is believed to have worked with another suspect, Vincent Gbetorglo, who was arrested earlier on June 30, 2025.
The arrests follow investigations into the deaths of two taxi drivers at Sakaman Blue Lagoon on May 9 and June 15, 2025. Police say the suspects contacted the victims before the attacks.
The Anti-Armed Robbery Unit of the CID led the investigation, using intelligence and surveillance to track down the suspects.
Police say efforts are being made to recover the vehicles of the murdered drivers.
The CID assured the public that investigations are still ongoing and promised to provide updates as new information emerges.
By: Jacob Aggrey
