Reverend Father Isaac Benuyenah, Parish Priest of St Augustine Roman Catholic Church, Hohoe, has underscored the need for personal hygiene as a prerequisite for marriage.

He said personal hygiene was also an important factor to be considered in preparation for marriage as looking decent everyday without keeping some parts of the body neat would not qualify a lady or a gentleman for marriage adding that "take care of these things."

He was preaching on the theme: "The purpose of God for mankind" (Especially for marriage)".

He said good hygiene must be practised by men and women and keep themselves neat in their marital homes especially women after childbirth.

The Parish Priest said there was the need to develop interest in the marriage and any other interests must be secondary.

"If you are going into marriage with any other interest, you will fail. Maintain whatever attracted you both the first time you meet."

He cautioned that financial statuses must not overrule the essence of marriage and arguments must be over issues without anger and importantly, couples must not let the sun set on their anger.

The Priest said faithfulness and honesty must characterised marriage lives."Some men say if you marry, you must have a backyard garden. Can women also have a backyard garden?"

He said the moment a partner goes out of the marriage to engage in infidelity, the trusts of the marriage get broken and things may not be same."

The Priest said couples must learn to discuss their marital issues with one another and not let it become a public issue.

He said third parties especially parents must not be allowed to dictate the direction of courtship nor marriage even though pieces advice may be needed in the marital life.

Fr Benuyenah said men should be humble, respectful and apologise anytime they were wrong since apology had a long way to prevent a lot of marital problems and unless a couple was sick, they should not deny each other sex and called on husbands to understand their wives especially during their menopausal stages.

The Priest said menopause period came with a lot of challenges such as feeling heat and experiencing waist pains hence the need for more care from men.

He said denying a partner sex as a form of punishment pushed them away from the marriage.

Fr Benuyenah said couples must share information, learn their differences, respect each other's privacy and give surprises.

He said prayer must be an important activity before and during their relationship, courtship and marriage.