Sex therapist calls for national sexuality education policy in Ghana
A US-trained sex therapist, Joshua Kwame Yeboah, has called on the government and stakeholders to develop a national sexuality education policy to address gaps in public understanding and strengthen professional practice in Ghana. Mr Yeboah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Sexuality, Marriage and Family Life Research and Training (iSMART), said sexuality remained difficult…
US-trained sex therapist Joshua Kwame Yeboah has urged Ghanaian government and stakeholders to establish a national policy on sexuality education to fill gaps in public knowledge and improve professional practice across the country. Sexuality is often a hard topic to discuss openly in many homes, schools, churches and communities in Ghana, warns Yeboah.
Young people are often warned about sexual activity without proper understanding of concepts like puberty, personal boundaries, consent, abuse prevention and responsible decision-making.
Yeboah, founder and CEO of the Institute of Sexuality, Marriage and Family Life Research and Training (iSMART), made his remarks during a graduation ceremony on October 17, 2026, for the first batch of students to complete iSMART's International Professional Certificate in Sex Therapy programme. The event, themed "The New Sexual Revolution: Professionalising Sex Therapy Practice in Africa," aimed to promote professionalism, responsible communication and accountability in sexuality education and sex therapy.
He called for a return to the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) proposal introduced in 2019, which was later abandoned due to opposition from parents, stakeholders and the public. Yeboah believes a culturally sensitive, faith-informed and scientifically-backed framework could promote holistic sexuality education, incorporating age-appropriate lessons on bodily development, safety, consent, abuse prevention, healthy relationships and responsible decision-making.
Yeboah also urged sexuality professionals to use social media to counter misinformation and break the silence surrounding sexuality. Reverend Dr Emmanuel Apea, chairman of iSMART and former UNESCO director, proposed the creation of an African Academy of Sex Therapy and Sexual Health to support the growth of the profession across Africa.
The academy would establish common professional standards, ethical guidelines and programs for continuing education and supervised practice among qualified professionals, researchers, educators and trainers.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
