Sexual and Reproductive Health Education among Dressmakers and Hairdressers in the Assin South District of Ghana

Abstract

This was an exploratory study on how dressmakers and hairdressers in the Assin South District of Ghana receive education on sexual and reproductive health. The respondents comprised mainly of full time female dressmakers and hairdressers as well as their apprentices (aged between 15 and 35 years, had attained basic education and were never married). Although some of the respondents were able to mention some sexual and reproductive health education programmes such as ‘Mmaa Nkomo’, most of them could not recall the recent topic discussed. Respondent’s major sources of information on sexual and reproductive health were friends, mass media, health professionals and parents. A significant proportion of them did not consider sexual and reproductive health issues as a priority for human development and thus paid little or no attention its educational programmes. It was recommended that dressmaking and hairdressing supervisors should be regularly trained in sexual and reproductive health issues to enable them educate their apprentices.