Female Adolescents And Reproductive Change In Ghana: Evidence From An Adolescent Survey Of Two Communities
Reproductive Health
21
Issue: 1
(04 - 2006)
The study on Female Adolescent Reproductive Change was undertaken as part of the ongoing
effort at understanding some of the problems that confront adolescents in Ghana. The study
uses a sample of 1,828 female adolescents aged 12-24 years (1,503 from Cape Coast and 325
from Mankrong) in the Central Region of Ghana as a case study. This has the primary
purpose of comparing the situation in an urban vis-à-vis a rural area. The general objective of
the study is to examine the possible changes in the reproduction among female adolescents
within the context of overall fertility decline in Ghana as a way of assessing the progress
made in addressing adolescent reproductive health problems following the adoption of a
national adolescent reproductive health policy in Ghana. The study examines age at first sex,
first marriage, first pregnancy and first birth as a way of finding out any changes that might
have occurred in the recent past. It also looks at issues pertaining to pregnancy incidence and
wastage as may be related to school attendance. Throughout, comparisons are made with
reports from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys (GDHS) and other small-scale
studies that have been done in certain areas in Ghana. Overall, the study finds that major
positive changes have occurred among female adolescents first with respect to the proportion
of female adolescents ever having sexual activity. More and more female adolescents continue
to abstain from sex. However, among the small proportion that ever indulges in sex, sexual
initiation appears to be earlier when age is controlled for.
0