Global community observes World Contraceptive Day
World Contraceptive Day (WCD) is celebrated on September 26 every year by reproductive health organisations with support from a coalition of 11 international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), governmental organisations, and scientific and medical societies with interest in sexual and reproductive health.
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Launched in 2007, WCD’s campaign centres on a vision where every pregnancy is wanted, a mission to improve awareness of contraception, and to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.
This year’s celebration was on the theme: "It's your life; it's your future; know your option".
Teenage pregnancies
According to a 2013 report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), out of the 20 countries with the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy worldwide, 18 are in Africa.
Niger is at the top of the list, as 51 per cent of women in that country give birth before the age of 18.
Another report by UNFPA said Niger has the highest percentage of child marriage in the world, as 75 per cent of children get married at a very tender age.
The report said one in three girls in Niger get married before the age of 15 and 75 per cent of women aged between 20 and 24 are married before they reach the age of 18.
WCD marked in Ghana
To mark the occasion in Ghana, DKT International, Ghana, an NGO that provides family planning and reproductive health products, joined other organisations at a ceremony at Nungua in Accra.
They used the occasion to raise awareness on family planning and how to prevent unwanted pregnancies among young females, as well as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the community.
Protect yourselves
Speaking at a ceremony, the Marketing Coordinator of DKT International, Ghana, Mr Isaac Opoku-Lamptey, advised young adults to be cautious of their reproductive health needs and take charge of their lives.
To that end, he said the organisation had, since the beginning of its operations in Ghana in 2011, promoted family planning and HIV and AIDS prevention through social marketing interventions.
“DKT Ghana is generating interest in these reproductive health products through mass media advertising and a grass-roots approach of working with clinicians and midwives in urban and rural areas,” he said.
Be cautious
Demonstrating the use of the condom and its diverse benefits to the user, a Public Health Nurse at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ms Rose Aduful, urged the people to always visit the nearest medical facilities to seek information on their reproductive health.
She said it was always important to use a condom during sexual intercourse to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STIs.
