Knowledge, attitude and practices study on reproductive health among secondary school students in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, Ghana

Abstract

This study was conducted within the secondary school student population of the Bolgatanga community, in Northern Ghana, to learn about knowledge, attitude and practices of reproductive health of this adolescent student population. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected on adolescence perception, STIs and HIV/AIDS, family planning, male-female relationship, and vulnerability to sexual violence. The data collected show a concerning low familiarity of the student population with family planning methods and HIV/AIDS transmission, which, combined with minimal contraceptive use, pose them at high risk for unwanted pregnancies and sexual infections transmission. We argue that poor infrastructures and low accessibility of these rural areas in Northern Ghana may have led to uneven distribution of reproductive health educational programs in the country, urging more programs and interventions aimed particularly at these high risk groups (Afr J Reprod Health 2009; 13[4]:51-66).