Media exposure and reproductive health behaviour among young females in Ghana

Abstract

The study is premised on the hypothesis that a young woman's exposure to the media increases her knowledge about sexual and reproductive health risks, which in turn, influences her to adopt positive sexual and reproductive behaviour. Using the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey dataset on women 15-24 years, the study finds that although a young woman's exposure to the newspapers positively affects her sexual and reproductive behaviour, overall no consistent and statistically significant results were produced particularly with reference to the electronic media (radio and television). The conclusion is that mere exposure to the media may not be enough to change one's sexual and reproductive behaviour if the contents of the particular media source do not positively address sexual and reproductive health issues, a subject which the study calls for further research.