Abstract:
This study focused on parents’ perceptions and intentions to provide condom
education for adolescents. A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was
employed using self-administered questionnaire. A total of 398 parents from rural
and urban communities in Cape Coast Metropolis completed the questionnaire.
The study discovered that though some adolescents have knowledge on condom
use, parental contribution to such knowledge was very minimal because they do
not feel comfortable discussing such topics with their adolescent children, and
cited media advertisement (billboards & radio) and friends as major sources of
adolescents’ condom education. Parents perceive that condom education must
take place in the school setting at the JHS level with female teachers handling
such education. The study also found that the perception that condom education
for the adolescent will have an effect such as initiating them into sexual
experimentation influences their readiness or intention to provide their adolescent
children with condom education. In view of this, it is recommended that public
health education programs should target parents to sensitize them on the essence
to communicate and educate their adolescent children on condom use in order to
curb misinformation and misuse about condom usage by adolescents to help
improve their sexual health now and in adulthood
