The School of Communication Studies (SCS) at Wisconsin International University College, Ghana (WIUC-GH) has organised a reproductive health seminar named Red Conversations; Love, Sex and Matters Arising.

This was in partnership with the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the Career & Counseling Services, as part of its efforts to empower students with the knowledge needed for life beyond the classroom.

A Reproductive & Family Planning Consultant and a lecturer at the school, Paulina Siaw-Akoto, was the main speaker for the programme.

She engaged students on many issues around unsafe and safe sexual practices.

Among these, she cautioned women against the abuse of emergency contraceptives as they have the potential to change the menstrual cycle and possibly cause infertility and other serious health complications in the future.

“Emergency contraceptives are not meant to be taken on a daily basis but at most twice a year. There is a reason why it is called an ‘emergency’.

"If you do not want to get pregnant, use a condom or consult a reproductive health professional to educate you on other birth control methods available so that you can make an informed choice,” she said.

She also encouraged sexually active individuals to use condoms as a protection against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy.

She, however, stressed that women (and men) should never attempt to terminate an unintended pregnancy without a health professional’s counsel as it could lead to pregnancy complications and even death.

She provided information on institutions students can find support for safe abortions.

Naadu Addico, a Public health specialist and the moderator of the event also encouraged students to reach out to organisations such as the PPAG, which have dedicated toll-free and WhatsApp numbers to provide counselling and reproductive health support 24 hours a day.

Elizabeth Anorkor Abbey, head of Career & Counseling Services at the university also encouraged students to be open to the counselling unit and walk in for psychological support on any issue they may be worried about.

The Ag. Dean of the School of Communication Studies, Baaba Cofie, said in commemoration of the month of love, ‘Red Conversations’ was an initiative by the school to educate students on the issues of reproductive health, especially sex, love and relationships to help them make informed decisions.

“Unfortunately, last semester, we lost a student to unsafe abortion. This was a wake-up call as we realized our students may not be as informed on reproductive health issues, especially issues concerning sex and love.

"We are, therefore, excited that we can educate them in this way to avoid unnecessary reproductive health challenges and rather focus on their books,” she said.