Parent–child communication about sexual and reproductive health: evidence from the Brong Ahafo region, Ghana

Abstract

BackgroundYoung people aged 10–24 years represent one-third of the Ghanaian population. Many are sexually active and are at considerable risk of negative health outcomes due to inadequate sexual and reproductive health knowledge. Although growing international evidence suggests that parent–child sexual communication has positive influence on young people’s sexual behaviours, this subject has been poorly studied among Ghanaian families. This study explored the extent and patterns of parent–child sexual communication, and the topics commonly discussed by parents.MethodsA cross-sectional design was used to sample 790 parent–child dyads through a two-stage cluster sampling technique with probability proportional to size. Interviewer-administered questionnaire method was used to gather quantitative data on parent–child communication about sex. Twenty sexual topics were investigated to describe the patterns and frequency of communication. The Pearson’s chi-square and z-test for two-sample proportions were used to assess sexual communication differences between parents and young people. Qualitative data were used to flesh-out relevant issues which standard questionnaire could not cover satisfactorily.ResultsAbout 82.3% of parents had at some point in time discussed sexual and reproductive health issues with their children; nonetheless, the discussions centered on a few topics. Whereas child-report indicated that 78.8% of mothers had discussed sexual communication with their children, 53.5% of fathers had done so. Parental discussions on the 20 sexual topics ranged from 5.2%-73.6%. Conversely, young people’s report indicates that mother-discussed topics ranged between 1.9%-69.5%, while father-discussed topics ranged from 0.4% to 46.0%. Sexual abstinence was the most frequently discussed topic (73.6%), followed by menstruation 63.3% and HIV/AIDS 61.5%; while condom (5.2%) and other contraceptive use (9.3%) were hardly discussed. The most common trigger of communication cited by parent–child dyads was parent’s own initiation (59.1% vs. 62.6% p = 0.22).ConclusionsParents in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana do talk to children about sex, but their conversations cover limited topics. While abstinence is the most widely discussed sexual topic, condoms and contraception were rarely discussed. Sex educational programmes ought to encourage parents to expand sexual communication to cover more topics.

Caretaker-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health: a cross-sectional study in Unguja-Tanzania Zanzibar

“…The rarely discussed topics to female adolescents by both sexes of caretakers are condom and other contraceptive use while to male adolescents, abstinence is rarely discussed by female caretaker and safer sex by male adolescents. Similar topics reported in many studies as the focus of discussion and the least discussed topics between caretakers and adolescents [5, 23, 34, 36], however studies did not differentiate topics communicated by different sex of caretaker to different sex of adolescents. This is the only study which report in details different sex-choice of topic of discussion by gender of adolescents.…”

Beyond love: a qualitative analysis of factors associated with teenage pregnancy among young women with pregnancy experience in Bolgatanga, Ghana

“…Studies elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa have found significant barriers to communication about sex (Bastien, Kajula, and Muhwezi 2011). Parents are reluctant to discuss more than the adverse consequences of sexual activity, and maternal communications about sex are frequently restrictive and moralistic in tone (Bastien, Kajula, and Muhwezi 2011;Macleod and Tracey 2010;Manu et al 2015). In some Western societies, a more open communication and pragmatic view of youth sexuality prevails (Weaver, Smith, and Kippax 2005).…”

Consistencies and Discrepancies in Communication Between Parents and Teenage Children About Sexuality

“…The results of this study showed that although there are other sources of information on sexuality, parents continue to be the preferred source (Manu et al, 2015). Likewise, it was found that peers and the media are alternative sources of information about sexuality that adolescents, especially women, trust more and experience less prejudice from (Martino et al, 2009;Regmi et al, 2010).…”

“…Women are more likely to talk about the topic with their parents, especially with their mothers, than men (Jones, 2010;Kapungu et al, 2010). Although previous studies have established that parent-child communication about sexuality is limited, abstinence, menstruation, and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases have been identified as the topics most often addressed by parents (Manu, Mba, Asare, Odoi-Agyarko, & Asante, 2015). When discussing abstinence, female sexual activity is represented as rational only when the relations are based on love and a stable partnership (Jones, 2010).…”

“…Second, although there are gender and cultural differences in the way the topic is addressed, it has been found that parents are not the main source of information about sexuality for adolescents (Manu et al, 2015). However, the information about sexuality provided by peers and the media, whether due to ease of access or proximity, can be stereotyped, inaccurate, and encourage the creation of distorted representations (Martino, Collins, Elliott, Kanouse, & Berry, 2009;Regmi et al, 2010).…”