Contraceptive Use Among Basic School Pupils in a Municipality in Ghana

Abstract Background: Ghana over the years strived to improve contraceptive services for young people through various policies and programmes. Despite these efforts, contraceptives use among young people remain a challenge. In this study, contraceptive use among basic school pupils in a Ghanaian municipality was explored to inform policy and programme decisions. Methods: The research design was a cross-sectional and mixed-method survey involving four hundred and twenty-seven (427) respondents randomly selected from four hundred and eleven (411) basic schools (102 from private and 309 from public basic schools) within Effutu Municipality of Ghana Results: Basic school pupils in Ghana are generally sexually active but have high unmet needs for modern contraception due to socio-cultural barriers, stigma, and misconceptions. Awareness and use are however more prevalent among Junior High School pupils compared to those at the primary levels. Pupils who received contraceptive education from parents/guardians were, however, more likely to use modern contraceptives consistently than their counterparts who do not. Conclusions: Because young people in basic schools are becoming sexually active, there is a need for formalized contraceptive education in the basic schools for correct information and education.