A new study conducted by researchers in the Sociology and Social Work department at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) highlights significant gaps in sex education among Ghanaian preteens. The study, published in the BMC Reproductive Health journal, surveyed 373 pupils aged 11 to 15 from six public schools in Koforidua.
The findings revealed that, while two-thirds of the respondents were aware of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), most could only identify HIV, with little or no knowledge of other infections such as chlamydia, syphilis, or genital warts. The researchers characterised these results as a “wake-up call” for Ghana’s education and health authorities, emphasising the need for improved sexual health education to protect the health of the next generation.
“Many of these children are growing up with half-truths or no knowledge at all about common infections beyond HIV,” said lead author Mr. Richard Ofori of the Department of Sociology and Social Work. “If this continues, it leaves them vulnerable to preventable diseases as they mature.”
The study also revealed an unexpected trend: pupils’ knowledge of STDs declined as they advanced from primary to junior high school, suggesting that lessons on sexual health are either irregular or absent in the upper grades.
Researchers found that adolescents who had never dated were also less likely to know about STDs compared to those who had some exposure to relationships. Globally, over one million people contract treatable sexually transmitted infections every day, according to the World Health Organisation, with sub-Saharan Africa carrying one of the heaviest burdens. In Ghana, sexually transmitted infections affect an estimated 3.4% of the population, but limited awareness and stigma continue to undermine prevention efforts.
The researchers are calling on the Ghana Education Service to integrate comprehensive, age-appropriate sexual health education into primary and junior high school curricula to close the knowledge gap. “Teaching our children early, and doing so consistently, is not about encouraging sex; it’s about equipping them with the right information to protect their health and their future,” the researchers said.
Other authors of the study include Dr. (Mrs) Mary Sefa Boampong, Mr. Andrew Nketsia Arthur, Ms. Dorcas Sekyi, and Dr Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah, all from the Department of Sociology and Social Work.
Source: Edith Asravor
