Ayoliyire Monica Awine

Ayoliyire Monica Awine

First Community Service

Title: Genetics; the need for compatibility test before marriage, sex determination and Variation 

On the 23rd of April 2025 at exactly 7:00 am, I, Ayoliyire Monica Awine rendered my first community service to the people of Kansaam;a community within Mirigu in the upper East region of Ghana where I educated my people on Genetics; the need for compatibility test before marriage, sex determination and Variation 

Growing up in Kansaam, I have seen and heard many homes broken as a result of women producing only one gender of children mostly female children. Some men divorce their wives as a result this. Others neglect their responsibilities as fathers as a result of this. Some even go to the extent of marrying other women believing their wives cannot produce male children. This usually make women and the children they have had together suffer for what they have no hand in. 

Some women on the other hand engage in extra marital activities when they're unable to give birth to the kind of gender they want. 

As a Biochemistry student who studied Genetics in both senior high school and tertiary, I believed all these happenings were as a result of their ignorance on how the sex of a child is determined and I took that bold step where I educated 80 people (including men, women, the youth and pregnant women) that women and men have no hand in determining the sex of a child. I educated them in my local language (frafra) so that everyone would understand me. I illustrated to them using pictures of genetic crossing and they all understood me on how the sex of a child is determined. 

Secondly, with my knowledge gained on the relevance of compatibility test before marriage, I educated them, most especially the youth who are not married yet, that they should endeavor to go for genetic counseling and compatibility test such as sickling tests, blood group tests and so many other tests with their partners to prevent future problems with regards to producing children or even passing on traits or diseases to their offsprings . 

On Variation, I brought to their understanding that, during pregnancy, the child's genetic information can be altered if the mother is unable to provide a conducive environment for the child and how some activities such as alcoholism, starvation and mood swings affects the genetic make up of the child. 

Lastly I created their awareness that, research and technology has made it possible for us to trace the paternity of a child through genes and that they youth most especially the boys, should not think they can impregnate ladies and deny it anymore.

It was an interactive session where everyone had the opportunity to ask questions. This activity lasted for two hours, 15 minutes.I pleaded with them to help me share this information to the entire community so that, together we can curb or reduce the menace of people most especially women being blamed for producing only female children or male children. It was a lovely time with them.