Protect your vagina to avoid complications

Adolescent girls have been advised to avoid inserting external materials into their vaginas to prevent complications in future. The adolescents, mainly students within the Obuasi enclave were also urged to manage their menstrual cycles properly and avoid using unhygienic materials such as rags in place of sanitary pads because of the likely negative effect.

The Social Development and Gender Superintendent of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), Obuasi Mines, Mavis Nana Yaa Kyei, gave the advice at the Anyinam Methodist B Junior High School (JHS) when the company distributed about 1,000 sanitary pads to female students of five basic schools in its host communities.

It was to help improve menstrual hygiene among the students and empower them to manage menstruation safely. The exercise, which was in partnership with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), was in line with the mine’s educational improvement programme of its 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan.

The programme was to create awareness and highlight the importance of menstrual hygiene management. Through interactive and informative presentations, the students were enlightened on menstrual hygiene, items used during menstruation among others. Mrs Kyei reiterated the company’s commitment to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and infrastructure.

“These infrastructures include putting up facilities such as changing rooms and washrooms with clean running water to create a conducive environment for female students. “With the support of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), we hope to contribute to ending period poverty by providing girls with the necessary resources to manage their menstruation effectively,” she said.

For her part, the Obuasi Municipal Coordinator for Girl Child Education, Cecilia Salifu, implored parents to be powerful role models for their teenagers during their adolescent stage. She expressed the hope that the exercise would benefit students to improve on their health and studies.