Dr Ronald Sowa, the Western Regional Coordinator for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), says there is high prevalence rate of sexually transmitted infections among Senior High School students in the Region.

He attributed the high prevalence rate of STIs among female students to the promiscuous lifestyle and usage of antiseptics and herbal preparations for washing their sexual organs, which eventually killed the organisms that protect the lining of the vagina.

Dr Sowa said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital on Monday.

He said such infections resulted in unpleasant vaginal discharge and therefore entreated victims to desist from self-medication and report unusual symptoms to health facilities for treatment.

Dr Sowa said most of the victims of STIs were females aged between 15 to 30 years and advised them to desist from wearing jeans in view of our hot weather condition.

“The females should wear cotton clothing in order to allow more air to circulate around their sexual organs to keep away bacteria from growing there”, he advised.

The Regional STI Coordinator said there had been reduction in HIV cases in the region as a result of consistent education on HIV prevention and commended the media for their support.

He said his outfit is yet to receive last year’s figure on HIV cases reported in the Region and added that the prevalence rate among pregnant women in 2011 was 1.9 percent lower than the national figure of 2.1 percent.