Determinants of communication on sexual issues between adolescents and their parents in the Adaklu district of the Volta region, Ghana: a multinomial logistic regression analysis

Abstract

Plain language summary Parent-adolescent and older sibling adolescent communication on issues about sex is considered an important aspect of adolescent development and well-being, as it ensures informed decision making and good behavior and a protective factor for adolescent sexual health. However, poor communication on sexual issues between adolescents and their parents results in high rates of negative sexual practices such as teenage pregnancy. Contributing factors to this poor communication on sexual issues between adolescents and their parents in a high teenage pregnancy setting have not been adequately explored. This paper, therefore, examines the factors that predict communication on sexual issues between adolescents and their parents in the Adaklu district of the Volta region of Ghana. It highlights individual, household, societal and sexual-related factors that predict communication on sexual issues between adolescents and their parents in an area with a high rate of teenage pregnancy among adolescent girls. The data on adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Adaklu district show poor communication on sexual issues between adolescents (aged 10–19 years) and their parents. Improving communication on sexual issues between adolescents and their parents in rural settings requires capacity building of parents (especially mothers) with the right information and communication skills for discussing sexual and reproductive health issues with their children.

Keywords

• Adolescents
• Parents
• Sex communication
• Reproductive health
• Adaklu district
• Ghana