By Albert Oppong Ansah

Most young people in the Northern region of Ghana have their first sexual experience either out of curiosity or pressure from partners and peers, a survey conducted in six districts of the region has revealed.

The survey conducted among young people aged 13 to 25 years in the Tamale Metropolis, Central Gonja, Karaga, Saboba, West Mamprusi and Savelugu/Nanton districts, also showed that these young people had sex with those from the circles of the family and friends.
It was jointly undertaken by the Northern Sector Action Awareness Center (NORSAAC) and AXIS, a Danish non-governmental organization, with funding from Danida under the Innovative Sexuality Project (ISEP) which seeks to improve on the knowledge and awareness of young people about their sexuality to enable then control their lives.

Speaking at a ceremony in Tamale on Tuesday to outdoor findings of the survey, Mr Alhassan Mohammed Awal, Director of NORSAAC, said the survey sought to gather knowledge on the sexual habits of young Ghanaians, their knowledge about contraception, pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections as well as gaining an insight into their attitudes to sexually related dilemmas.

He said it hope to develop, implement and validate methods based on dialogue for sex education in schools and youth groups in the Northern region of Ghana as well as introducing these to local and regional authorities.

Shedding more light on the report, he said the two year research found out that it was difficult for parents in rural and urban areas to educate the target group on sex at home.

“The majority of the young people who participated in the focus group interviews indicate this lack of communication on the topic with their family; this involves both boys and girls. If anything is discussed at home; it is typically abstinence.

“When the girl has her first period, the discussions typically evolve around the fear of pregnancy, thus, she must stay far away from the opposite sex. Seen from the outside, this can appear more as scare tactics than an attempt to guide and inform,” he said.

Mr Awal said many parents fear that their children would be sexually active early; if there were educated on sex in the home adding that “more than half of the young people interviewed said sexuality is hardly mentioned at home. ”

He said school and friends were mainly the sources, according to the young people, that provide the most and best information about sex whiles girls obtained sex information from their boyfriends and husbands.

Mr Awal said the about 78 per cent of the people interviewed said sex life was important in relations, whether one felt comfortable or not.

Mr Moses Magbenba, Northern Regional Minister, who launched the report challenged Civil Societies, Regional Directors of Education, parent and Health Sector to support and help educate young people on sex to improve reproductive health.

He said the development of every country depends on the future of the youth hence the need to protect their lives against STD.