GHEI has been conducting sexual and reproductive health outreach since 2003. Its current programs include HIV prevention outreach, and male and female condom sales that help to prevent HIV, other sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancy. GHEI's education sector also indirectly works to prevent teenage pregnancy by improving opportunities for girls, helping them to pursue their goals, and demonstrating to parents and the community that girls are not only worth the investment, but that they have a right to it.

The Burden of HIV and AIDS / The prevalence of HIV in Ghana is 1.9% (UNAIDS 2007), but the Western Region, where GHEI is located is known to have a significantly higher prevalence (USAID 2005). Few youth in Ghana have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV and many do not use condoms during higher risk sex (UNICEF 2003-2008).

The Burden of Teenage Pregnancy / Teenage girls living in developing countries who become pregnant are faced with a very real threat to their health, as well as tremendous social consequences. Worldwide, more than 2 million adolescents resort to unsafe abortion each year (Olukoya 2001). In addition, pregnancy and childbirth are more dangerous in adolescents: those between the ages of 15 and 19 are twice as likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth as women in their 20's, and for those younger than 15, the risks are 5 times higher (UNFPA 2005).

In our communities, it is not uncommon to hear of young girls taking herbs or local medicine to abort a pregnancy, or to see young girls slowly recovering in clinics and hospitals from unsafe abortions. Girls feel tremendous shame when they become pregnant and fear for their futures. Very few girls who are in school continue to attend or return to school after the birth of their child. This affects how parents invest in their children: it is more prudent to invest in the education of a boy who will not get pregnant and can go on to support the family.

History of Program / GHEI has been conducting sexual and reproductive health outreach since 2003. At that time, there were few condoms available and they were not affordable, especially to youth. GHEI began a youth-friendly condom sales service in 2004. Youth were trained as peer educators, enabling them to provide confidential and informed advice about condom use, including condom demonstrations. There are currently 30 peer educators, half male and half female, that do outreach in 5 communities. Peer educators sell both male and female condoms at a heavily discounted price (~2 cents), subsidized by GHEI. In 2010 alone, over 5,000 male condoms were either sold by peer educators or distributed at World AIDS Day.

From 2007 to 2010, GHEI worked in partnership with the District Department of Social Welfare on the Government-funded initiative MSHAP (Multi-Sectoral HIV/AIDS Programme). This work enabled GHEI and its community health workers to carry out a variety of HIV/AIDS interventions, focusing on prevention, stigma and discrimination, voluntary counseling and testing, and care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Thanks to MSHAP funding, GHEI was able to expand its projects to surrounding rural villages.

Currently GHEI continues its HIV/AIDS outreach through condom sales and World AIDS Day on December 1st, which it has been celebrating each year since 2003 with large events focused on prevention, stigma and discrimination.

Altrusa International Foundation has generously supported our sexual and reproductive health programs including HIV/AIDS since 2005. We thank them for their commitment to the future of communities in rural Ghana.

How you can help / If you would like to help GHEI prevent HIV, other infections and teenage pregnancy, please consider donating. A $15 donation can be used to buy hundreds of condoms, but a donation in any amount is welcome.