Use of contraceptives among adolescents in Kintampo, Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The use of contraceptives is essential in preventing unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and abortion-related complications that expose adolescents to health-related risks such as infertility and sometimes death. Objective: To assess contraceptive use among adolescents as evidence to develop appropriate interventions for adolescent sexual health programs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using both quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted among 793 male and female adolescents (aged 15-19 years) in the Kintampo area of Ghana from October 2010-May 2011. Results: Knowledge of at least one contraceptive method was high (88.9%) among adolescents of both sexes (males 92.1% and females 86.6%). Knowledge of male condoms was highest (84.0%), and it was the most common contraceptive method used (82.0%). The use of other methods such as pills (7.9%), injection (0.9%), and foam (0.3%), amongst others, was low. About 22.9% of adolescents used contraceptives consistently. Among adolescents, consistent contraceptive use was significantly associated with discussions of contraceptive use between partners (P,0.01). Adolescents who discussed contraceptive use before their first sexual encounter were more likely to use contraceptives consistently when compared to those who had never discussed contraceptive use (odds ratio =0.06; 95% confidence interval: 0.02-0.17; P,0.01). Among sexually active adolescents, 30.0% had experienced pregnancy, with 34.0% of pregnancies resulting in abortions. Pregnancy was high among adolescents who did not use contraceptives consistently, as compared to those who did (6.4% versus 93.6%; P,0.01). The most common source of contraceptives was the chemical seller's/pharmacy shop (62.1%). Conclusion: Though a high number of adolescents knew at least one contraceptive method, this knowledge did not influence them to consistently use contraceptives. Only a small percentage of the sexually active adolescents used a contraceptive method consistently. It is, therefore, recommended that an intervention for improving consistent contraceptive use among adolescents be pursued. The creation of adolescent-friendly centers for reproductive health services is highly proposed.