Perception of Contraceptives Use and its Impact on the Sexual Behaviours of Adolescents in Senior High Schools in the Krachi-East District

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of contraceptive use on the sexual behaviours of adolescents in Senior High Schools. The study espoused a descriptive survey research method with the quantitative paradigm. Perception and Contraceptive use on Sexual Behaviour questionnaire (PCSB) was administered to a sample of 340 out of 2063 Senior High School students. Means and standard deviation were used to analyse the data for the research questions. The hypotheses were tested using independent samples t-test and ANOVA to test. The study revealed that adolescents’ knowledge level on contraceptives use was adequate and was above average. Again, it was established that those sources through which they get the information included hospitals, peers, sexual partners, internet and watching television. It was again found that adolescents agreed that contraceptives knowledge and its usage would help prevent sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies among the adolescents. On the basis of gender, there was no statistically significant difference between male and female adolescent students in relation to contraceptive use. The researcher recommends that, there is an urgent need for teachers, Ghana Education Service, NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs) and parents to undertake programmes that would empower adolescents, especially females, to become assertive in negotiating contraceptive use any time they want to have sex or engage in unprotected sex.