This was made known when the Central Regional Department of Gender initiated moves to improve parental skills in a bid to enhance parent-adolescent relationships and reduce adolescent pregnancies in the region.
Central Region records 10,301 teenage pregnancies in 2020
The Central Region has recorded a total of ten thousand three hundred and one (10,301) teenage pregnancies from January to December last year.
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According to the Regional Director of the Department of Gender, Ms. Richlove Amamoo, the large number was bad news for the region.
Speaking at a training workshop at Saltpond for 80 participants including parents and opinion leaders who are members of the Community Parents Network Advocacy Group (COPNAG) on sexual reproductive health and its related issues, she said "Many of our young people are having sex with people because they are hungry. A lot of the young people I have interacted with indicate they have sexual relationships in exchange for tokens and gifts for their basic needs. If parents develop more interest in the wellbeing of their children and adolescents, in particular, many of the problems would be solved."
She stated that the department had also established Men and Boys Advocacy clubs to help them to adopt more responsible sexual behaviour while reducing the incidence of sexual abuses such as defilement, and rape.
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