By Juliet ETEFE ([email protected])
Recent data from the Ghana Statistical Services has raised critical concerns about the increasing prevalence of risky sexual behaviours among adolescents.
The study focused on adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, who constitute about 22 percent of the country’s population, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census— and presents district-level statistics.
Key findings revealed that underage sexual activity and multiple sexual partners are becoming a threat in societies, with high prevalence among female adolescents than male adolescents.
Dr. Peter Takyi Peprah of the GSS, who presented the report in Accra, noted that underage sexual activity was highest among girls in the Ashanti Region, while male adolescents in the Eastern Region recorded the highest prevalence.
“In the 10 districts with the highest prevalence of underage sexual activity among adolescents, about two in every five adolescent girls 16 to 19 years had sex before 16 years. Nine out of these 10 districts with the highest rates of underage sex among females were in the Ashanti Region, led by Akrofuom (42 percent), Amansie South (41.4 percent) and Amansie Central (40.9 percent).
“All 10 districts with the highest percentage of adolescent boys engaging in underage sex were in the Eastern Region; where about one in every three adolescent boys 16 to 19 years had sex before 16 years. The highest rates of male underage sex were recorded in the Upper Manya Krobo (35.7 percent), Atiwa West (35 percent) and Upper West Akim (34.5 percent) districts,”
the report stated.
It expatiated that underage sexual activity among female adolescents in Akrofuom in Ashanti Region is four times higher than that of Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri in the North East Region.
Also, it is eight times higher in Upper Manya Krobo in Eastern Region among male adolescents than their counterparts of Nandom and Wa Municipal in Upper West region.
Dr. Peprah urged that attention must be focused on young ladies who reside in districts in Ashanti, Western North, and Bono East Regions regarding experiencing underage sexual activity.
Multiple sexual partners
Dr. Peprah noted that multiple sexual partnerships were most prevalent among adolescents in the Western and Oti Regions, with boys in Oti recording particularly high rates.
“Bono and Western North Regions had districts in the top 10 with the highest prevalence of multiple sexual partners among adolescent girls; about one in every three girls 15 to 19 years had more than one sexual partner in the previous 12 months.
“The highest rates were recorded in the Dormaa East (38.7 percent), Dormaa Central Municipal (37.7 percent) and Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipal (37.5 percent) Assemblies.
“All districts except one in the top 10 that recorded the highest rate of multiple sexual partnerships among adolescent boys were in Oti Region, led by Guan (36.3 percent), Nkwanta South Municipal (35.4 percent) and Krachi Nchumuru (35 percent),” the report stated.
It states further those female adolescents with multiple sexual partners in Dormaa East in Bono Region are four times higher than that of Karaga in Northern Region; and males adolescents with multiple sexual partners are predominant in Guan in Oti Region and five times that of Krowor Municipal in Greater Accra Region.
The report utilised small area estimation to generate district estimates of indicators available from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS).
Risk factors and consequences
Dr. Peprah attributed the behaviours to a mix of curiosity, peer pressure, coercion and economic challenges. Also, adolescents from lower-income households or with limited education were more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviours compared to their peers with better socio-economic backgrounds.
He underscored the severe consequences of early sexual activity, including unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions, STIs and mental health challenges such as depression and substance abuse.
He also highlighted the heightened risk of cervical cancer due to repeated human papillomavirus (HPV) infections among young girls.
Existing statistics
Coupled with data from the 2022 DHS which states that 1 in 10 adolescent girls in Ghana had engaged in sexual intercourse before age 15 – showing a marginal 2 percent decline over nearly three decades, from 12 percent in 1993 to 10.2 percent in 2022 – these findings reiterated the need for urgent action.
Additionally, 15.2 percent of teenage girls reported pregnancies, with a significant proportion experiencing pregnancy loss through miscarriage or abortion, raising concerns about the safety of these procedures.
Further findings highlighted a three-fold increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female adolescents aged 15–19, rising from 2.2 percent in 2003 to 7.4 percent in 2022. Male adolescents in the same age bracket recorded a five-fold increase, escalating from 2.2 percent to 12.5 percent over the same period.
Alarmingly, adolescents constituted 6 percent of the total HIV population in Ghana, with 10.8 percent of new HIV cases in 2022 falling within this age group.
Policy implications
Associate Professor of Development & Health Economics at the University of Ghana Business School, Prof. Patrick Asuming, added a policy perspective to the discussion, stressing the importance of equity in resource allocation for adolescent health programmes as regional disparities mirror broader inequalities.
Prof. Asuming added that policies must move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and instead focus on the unique needs of each region.
He also called for data-driven decision-making to identify areas requiring the most urgent interventions and highlighted the critical role of inter-agency collaboration.
He said policies targeting risky sexual behaviours should not operate in isolation but integrate efforts across health, education and social welfare sectors.
Dr. Athanasius Ayetey Labi, a gynaecologist with the Ghana Health Service, also underscored the role of cultural, social and educational influences in shaping adolescent behaviour.
He opined that focusing interventions only on high-performing regions while neglecting others creates imbalances that exacerbate disparities.
He advocated for consistent, nationwide strategies that address the root causes of adolescent risky behaviours, including improving access to information, parental engagement and community support systems.
Government Statistician, Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim, noted the commitment of the GSS to producing statistics for the design, review and revision of policies, noting that efforts will be deepened as government starts its policy roll-out.
