Limited access to Adolescent Friendly Health Corners (AFHCs) is undermining adolescents’ knowledge of sexual and reproductive health services and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a survey has found.
The survey found that only 56 of 465 health facilities, representing 12 per cent, in selected districts across seven regions operated AFHCs.
The findings were presented by Madam Hawa Tasala Gariba, National Chairperson of the Young Urban Women’s Movement (YUWM), an offshoot of ActionAid Ghana, at a dissemination conference in Accra.
She said the limited number of AFHCs had contributed to knowledge gaps on sexually transmitted infections, their symptoms and prevention among adolescents.
Madam Gariba said the survey also found that boys were less informed about, and less confident in, accessing adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, including contraceptive services.
“Knowledge gaps persisted in STI types, prevention and symptoms,” she said.
“Boys are consistently less engaged and less confident in adolescent SRH services. Boys reported lower perceptions of contraceptives availability and accessibility, higher uncertainty and lower feelings of safety,” she added.
The survey, conducted by the YUWM, covered selected districts in the Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Bono, Ahafo, Greater Accra and Volta regions.
Madam Gariba said awareness of AFHCs remained low, noting that respondents in the Greater Accra Region were unaware of their existence.
She said utilisation of the facilities was also low in districts where adolescents knew they existed because of concerns about privacy, confidentiality, stigma and the attitudes of healthcare providers.
Madam Gariba called on the Ghana Health Service to expand and upgrade AFHCs, particularly in underserved districts, while strengthening privacy to improve confidential and youth-responsive service delivery.
She also urged the Ministry of Health to strengthen training, supervision, recruitment and deployment of personnel to provide adolescent sexual and reproductive health services, including during weekends and public holidays.
Madam Gariba further called on the Government to reduce financial barriers to adolescent sexual and reproductive health services by strengthening National Health Insurance Scheme coverage and expanding outreach to hard-to-reach communities.
She said AFHCs, established by the Ghana Health Service in line with World Health Organization standards, were intended to provide safe, confidential, non-judgmental and youth-responsive health services for adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years.