Ghana Statistical Survey Shares Details About Sexual Habits Of Men and Women In Ghana

Recent findings from the Ghana Statistical Survey that was published by the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey have brought to light details about sexual behaviour among men and women in Ghana. The studies affirm that one in ten women in Ghana had their first sexual experience before they turned 15. 10% of young women aged 15-24 reported engaging in sexual intercourse before that age as compared to 8% of their male counterparts.

The data also highlighted that 34% of men and 48% of women of the same age gap experienced their first sexual intercourse before they turned 18 years old.

The report noted that this trend has been persistent since 2014, with sexual debut being prevalent among young women rising since 2008 from 8 to 10%.

Godwin Odei Gyebi, the Acting Director of Demography, at Ghana Statistical Service, reports, ” The proportion of women aged 15–24 who had sexual intercourse before age 15 increased from 8% in 2008 to 11% in 2014 and then remained relatively unchanged at 10% in 2022. Similarly, the proportion among young men increased from 4% in 2008 to 9% in 2014 and remained relatively unchanged in 2022 (8%),”

The GSS survey further revealed that 2 out of 10 women have sex with their partners using protection. Women in the North East Region were recorded to be the most faithful in the country. Less than 9% of them were reported to be having sexual intercourse with people who were not their sexual partners for the past year. Women from the Northern region followed with 10.8%, Upper West (12.2%), Savannah (12.8%) and Upper East (13.2%).

The GSS report showed that 4 out of every 10 men have sex with their partners using protection. The total percentage of men condom users dropped to 23.4% for those of the ages between 25 and 29 years then to 15.9% for males between 30-39 years. The report also shows that Ghanaian men are likely to have more than 5 sexual partners in their lifetime.

Of all new HIV infections in Ghana, women make up to two-thirds of infections this is according to a report released in August 2023  by the AIDS Commission.

The report also said that 10,927 cases involved women, 5,647 cases also involved men and were among 16,574 HIV infections that were recorded in 2022.

17.5% of married men were reported to have more than one sexual partner while another 18.4% were reported to have intercourse with another person who was not their spouse or cohabitor.

The GSS survey stipulates that 79% of women between the ages of 15 and 24 know that using condoms during intercourse will help improve their general health. The statistical survey advocates for the use of protection during sexual encounters to limit the risk of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections which are prevalent in this geographical area.

The national prevalence and use of contraception stands at about 18.6% among sexually active adults. According to a recent survey, only 18% of the unmarried males in Ghana used condoms during their first sexual encounter.

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