The study of age at first sexual intercourse and parity examined the relationship between age at
first sexual intercourse and parity among women in three selected urban poor communities in
Accra, Ghana. The study investigated the average age at first sexual intercourse among women
aged 15-49 years and their implications on fertility. The unit of analysis was individual women
aged 15-49 years and the data set that was used for the analysis was the EDULINK 2011 wave
two.
Statistical measures such as percentages and means were used to describe the relationship between
the background characteristics and the mean parities. Simple linear and multiple regression
analyses were also used to analyze the effects of age at first sexual intercourse on parity and the
effect of the background characteristics on parity.
It was found out through the analyses that the average age at first sexual intercourse among women
within the three selected urban poor communities was 17.96 years while the average parity was
2.17 births per woman.
The bivariate and multivariate analyses, showed an inverse relationship between age at first sexual
intercourse and parity, in that a lower age at first sexual intercourse increased the parity of a
woman, hence confirming the hypothesis.
Based on the findings, it was recommended that laws in Ghana governing age at first sex should
be made stricter by raising the age. Extensive campaign on the knowledge and use of contraception
should be embarked on by government and other stakeholders to educate women. Female
education should be encouraged, also religious bodies should encourage young women to postpone
first sex until they are ready.