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According to the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) 2022 Demographic and Health Survey, nearly 80% of Ghana’s youth engage in unprotected, or “raw” sex.
The survey states that although they are aware that using condoms can reduce their risk of contracting HIV and other STDs, this is still the case.
79% of women between the ages of 15 and 24 are aware that regularly using condoms will improve their general health, according to the GSS survey.
In Ghana, women accounted for two thirds of all new HIV infections, according to an August 2023 AIDS Commission report.
Furthermore, it stated that of the 16,574 new HIV infections reported in 2022, 5,647 cases involved men and 10,927 cases involved women.
18.4% of married men said they had slept with someone other than their spouse or cohabiting partner, and 17.5% of married men said they had two or more partners.
Results from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), have revealed alarming trends in young women’s sexual initiation.
According to the revelations, 10% of women had their first sexual experience prior to becoming 15 years old.
In contrast to the 8% seen among their male counterparts, 10% of young women between the ages of 15 and 24 reported having sex before the age of 15. This is a concerning statistic.
Furthermore, the data indicated that 48% of women and 34% of men in the 18–24 age group had their first sexual experience prior to turning 18.
The report notes that this trend has persisted since 2014, with the prevalence of early sexual debut among young women rising from 8% in 2008 to the current 10%.
Concerns are raised concerning possible long-term effects on Ghanaian youth welfare.
The percentage of women between the ages of 15 and 24 who had sex before turning 15 rose from 8% in 2008 to 11% in 2014, and then it stayed mostly stable at 10% in 2022. In a similar vein, the percentage among young men rose from 4% in 2008 to 9% in 2014 and stayed mostly stable at 8% in 2022, according to Godwin Odei Gyebi, the Ghana Statistical Service’s acting director of demography.
In order to lower the risk of STDs and unintended pregnancies, which are both common in this group, the report also promotes the use of condoms during sexual activity.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
