A research conducted by the Central Region office of the National Youth Authority (NYA) has shown that perpetrators of teen pregnancy, child marriage and sexual and gender-based violence are mostly commercial tricycle and motorcycle riders.

The research was conducted based on reports that the incidents of Sexual and gender-based violence and sexually transmitted infections (STI) were on the rise in the region.

Mrs Anita Nana Seguah Ansah, Central Regional Director of the NYA, made this known at a day’s training of trainers workshop for tricycle and motorcycle riders to educate them on the negative effects of teen pregnancy, child marriage and other harmful practices.

It was organised by NYA in collaboration with the Central Regional Coordinating Council and sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to help reduce the incidents of teen pregnancy and child marriage in the region.

The participants were drawn from Komenda-Edina-Eguafo- Abrem, Cape Coast, Assin Fosu, Awutu Senya East (Kasoa), Gomoa East, Agona East and Agona West.

Mrs Ansah said based on the report, the NYA conducted a research, which mostly implicated tricycle and motorcycle riders.

The Regional Director expressed the hope that the riders would go back to their various destinations to be good ambassadors to disseminate the information to others to ensure reduction of Sexual and gender-based violence, child marriage and teen pregnancy cases.

Similar workshops had been held in the Gomoa West, Cape Coast and other districts and feedback the NYA got was that the situation was getting better.

The Director said the NYA was doing everything possible to replicate the workshop to cover every district in the region to reduce Sexual and gender-based violence, child marriage and sexually transmitted infections among the youth.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mrs Vida Yankey, Agona Swedru District Commander, who spoke on Sexual and gender-based violence, causes, effects and punishments, expressed concern about the alarming rate of defilement and teen pregnancy cases in the Swedru Municipality.

ASP Yankey, who is also the Agona Swedru Divisional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, cautioned tricycle and motorcycle riders to stop engaging in such crimes because they could be jailed for not less than 15 years when caught.

The DOVVSU Divisional Coordinator further explained the punishment attached to rape, defilement, incest, sexual harassment and other related domestic violence issues and warned riders to put a stop to it to ensure peace.

Ms Abigail Appiah, Peer Educator of Plan Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), who spoke on STI cautioned the riders about the dangers and urged them to use condoms to avoid contracting infections.

She warned them against self- medication, resulting in the excessive intake of antibiotics when they had STI and urged them to report to a health facility to seek proper treatment.

 Mrs Docas Sam-Mensah, Public Health Nurse at Agona West Municipal Health Directorate, urged the riders to be responsible and take their health matters seriously to avoid complications.

She expressed concern about the numerous teenage pregnancy cases being recorded in the Municipality and attributed them to poverty, lack of education and good parental care and control.