Access to Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Information and Services in Ghana: A Community-Based Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy among girls 10-19 years remains a challenge that requires critical resolution all over the world. Despite this worrying sexual phenomenon, research pertaining to prevention information and related services in Sub-Saharan nations like Ghana is sparse. This study sought to determine the influence of access to pregnancy prevention information and services on adolescent pregnancy in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Methods and Results: Adopting a matched case-control research design with a 1:1 mapping, female adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years in the KEEA Municipality were selected using a facility based sampling technique. Results from both bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed that non-pregnant adolescents were about two times more likely to have access to pregnancy prevention information from health workers compared to pregnant adolescents [OR = 0.57, 95% CI = (0.33-0.96), p = 0.036]. Likewise, pregnant adolescents were five times more likely to have access to pregnancy prevention information from media compared to non-pregnant adolescents [OR = 5.44, 95% CI = (2.64-11.23), p = 0.000]. Additionally, non-pregnant adolescents were two times more likely to receive information on pregnancy prevention from school compared to pregnant adolescents [OR = 0.48, 95% CI = (0.28-0.81), p = 0.006]. Conclusion: Sexuality and reproductive health (SRH) programme organizers should target specific intervention programmes that focus on training health workers and/or other analogous staff to enhance their awareness, attitudes, and skills to more effectively meet with the specific needs of adolescents. Specific health workers training and redesign of health facilities to foster more adolescent user friendly working environment (e.g., extension in operational times, reduction in fees of SRH services, transforming physical design to promote privacy or confidentiality) ought to be encouraged. Different media outreach programmes should also combine other community level events [e.g., Ahinkorah et al. Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Information and Services informative methods through schools (e.g., focus group discussions, participatory learning), assisting connections to health services, community information network (e.g., use of sirens)] to provide well-tailored advocacy that would help modify SRH and sociocultural norms that hinder positive sexual behaviors among young people.

The missing link between legal age of sexual consent and age of marriage in sub-Saharan Africa: implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights

“…Since diverse family, societal, cultural, and religious influences build unfriendly environment for interactions on adolescent sexuality matters in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, SRH programme organizers should target specific interventions that focus on continuous awareness creation, attitudinal change, and personal skills (e.g., decision making) to help address the specific needs of adolescents. Providing adolescent user-friendly sexual and reproductive health services devoid of pre-judgmental or stereotypical behaviours against adolescents who would want to seek for accurate SRH information is essential [ 42 , 43 ].…”

Understanding the association between exposure to family planning messages and consistent condom use among never married men in Ghana

“…In Ghana, Central, Northern and Upper East regions are considered among the regions where birth rate is very high [ 72 ]. The trend has been attributed to high rates of unintended pregnancies due to sociocultural norms within the regions that support polygamous marriages and large family sizes and inadequate access to contraceptives [ 51 , 73 , 74 ]. Hence, the higher likelihood of consistent condom use among never married men who live in those regions could be an intervention to reduce the high fertility rates in the region.…”

Digital Educational Support Groups Administered through WhatsApp Messenger Improve Health-Related Knowledge and Health Behaviors of New Adolescent Mothers in the Dominican Republic: A Multi-Method Study

“…Additionally, evidence-based methods for the effective evaluation of these interventions are needed [ 38 ]. Our findings are unique as much of the research on WhatsApp interventions and adolescent pregnancy focuses on sexual and reproductive health, including sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention [ 53 , 54 ]. Our findings were, however, similar to one recent study conducted in Kenya, which found a mobile support group offered through WhatsApp is safe, feasible, and enhanced rates of postpartum contraceptive uptake among participants [ 27 ].…”