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Ghanaians fear unwanted pregnancy more than HIV/AIDS

When Pulse News interacted with a section of the youth, majority of them revealed that the first thing that strikes them whenever they have unprotected sex is unwanted pregnancy.

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When Pulse News interacted with a section of the youth, majority of them revealed that the first thing that strikes them whenever they have unprotected sex is unwanted pregnancy. HIV and AIDS infection or contracting any other form of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) is either completely forgotten or becomes the secondary thought.

This revelation is even more evident in the mad rush these days among young people for all kinds of drugs for preventing pregnancy.

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There are some private facilities mostly in Accra who claim they are into family planning, and it is surprising how their services are highly patronized by mostly young people on daily basis.

At one of those centers in Ashaiman for instance, young ladies form long queues almost similar to the ones seen on election day, just to either abort an unwanted pregnancy or have injections to prevent them against one.

Family planning, if one is not mistaken, as the name suggests, is meant for married couples to help them determine the size of family they intend to have, but it has rather become the direct opposite. Young people especially females who should be in school studying are the highest patrons of family planning services. After the so-called family planning injections, it is almost a license for them to have indiscriminate unprotected sex without fear of anything.

The reason why the Ghana AIDS Commission’s figures lend credence to this trend is that, the commission has lamented how condom use has declined drastically despite consistent campaign against HIV and AIDS.

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It will be ridiculous for anyone to think that once there is a decline in condom use then Ghanaians are opting for the other two preventive measures: abstinence or faithfulness to one’s partner.

Further investigations revealed another disturbing trend whereby even prostitutes allow for unprotected sex with their clients these days. But the unprotected one costs more than the one with condoms, due to the risks.

The question is, what motivates a prostitute to allow for an unprotected sex? Arguably, they have probably taken some family planning pills and feel that is enough. Once pregnancy will not arise to disrupt their work, the likelihood of contracting HIV or any other STDs does not matter at all.

It is really a disturbing trend. Maybe, rather than lamenting, the Ghana AIDS Commission would have to further intensify its campaigns probably resorting to some new ways this time round.

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Special attention should be focused on those that claim they are into family planning, because termination of pregnancy is illegal in the country unless it is recommended by a medical doctor on convincing health grounds, but now it is done on the whims and caprices of the individuals.

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