UNFPA sensitises girls on sexual, reproductive health

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Youth Participatory Platform (YPP) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth in Abesan Youth Center, Alimosho – Local Government to organise a one-day community forum to sensitised adolescent girls and young women on sexual and reproductive health in the state.

The forum was targeted at eliminating any form of barriers to access to information on sexual reproductive health and services in marginalised communities in Lagos state.

“We must continue to provide young girls with information that empowers them to make informed decisions regarding their health and wellbeing,” said Olufemo Ojo, CDC secretary, Mosan Okunola LCDA during the forum held at Abesan Youth Centre.

“We need to ensure the rate of teenage pregnancy drops in the community and this program helps do that and we welcome more of such programs in the community,” Ojo added.

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Girls and young women faced significant barriers in accessing sexual reproductive health information and services and the pandemic has further worsened the situation, experts say.

Speaking also, Elizabeth Williams, YPP coordinator, UNFPA said that young people can only make a meaningful contribution to society when they can fulfil their potentials.

“When girls and young women have information on their sexual reproductive health, they would be able to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV,” Williams said.

“It is our responsibility as a country to continue to provide this knowledge to girls wherever they are even in marginalized communities,” she further said.

She explained that in the course of the forum, 100 adolescent girls and young women were reached from different wards in Alimosho Local Government Area, adding that the programme was divided into two sessions.

The first session focused on preventive messaging on COVID19 where the girls were taught ways to prevent the spread and contracting of the virus.

The second session was an interactive session where girls were given a talk on the prevention of pregnancy. They were taught the different contraceptive options available including abstinence while dispelling the myths and misconceptions on contraceptive use.

Also, dignity kits comprising of sanitary items such as menstrual pads and hand sanitizers were distributed to all girls in attendance.

Also speaking, Dr. Amaka Haruna explained that the choice of Alimosho for the programme was because it is the largest local government in Lagos with not many health interventions initiative.

Haruna said the programme aims to empower every participant with life-saving information to enable them to achieve their full potential in line with the UNFPA mandate.

YPP is a UNFPA youth group of young people promoting the organisation’s mandate in South-Western Nigeria. It serves as an interface between UNFPA and young people.