Teenage girls at Nkwanta South Senior High in the Oti Region are facing a difficult situation due to the high price of sanitary pads.
As a result, they have resorted to using rags, tissue paper, and other materials during their monthly periods.
In an interview with Adom News, the students expressed their concerns about the rising cost of sanitary pads and their inability to afford them.
This has forced them to wear the same pad for longer hours, raising concerns about their feminine hygiene.
The situation has led many girls from poor and middle-class backgrounds to stay away from school and other activities during menstruation to avoid the potential embarrassment of staining their clothes.
To address this issue, Oti NDC Regional Women’s Organiser, Paulina Magyam, donated sanitary pads to the students at Nkwanta Senior High School in an effort to improve menstrual hygiene among teenagers.
The students appealed to other NGOs and individuals for support, hoping to receive assistance that would enable them to stay in school.
Mercy Okumah Adwoa, a female teacher in charge of menstrual hygiene at the school, also expressed her concerns about the soaring prices of sanitary pads, which many students cannot afford.
Madam Paulina, emphasized the need for the government to subsidize the cost of sanitary pads, making them more affordable for vulnerable school girls across the country.
She highlighted that research has shown a link between girls’ absenteeism from school and teenage pregnancies in both senior high schools and junior high schools, largely due to their inability to afford sanitary pads during their menstrual periods.