Background: Adoption and utilization of family
planning services have been evidenced to be useful
in preventing sexually transmitted infections,
reducing unintended pregnancies, reducing maternal
and child mortality and this serves as a key means to
meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Despite these enormous benefits, the use of family
planning methods still remain preponderantly low
among citizens of developing countries. In Ghana,
there have been alarming media reports and also
reports from the Ghana Health Service of higher
rates of unintended pregnancies, criminal abortions,
unhealthy sexual behaviors such as low contraceptive
usage among adolescents and a paradox of stagnation
in continuity of formal education due to the negative
consequences of risky sexual behaviors. This study
was designed to look critically into adolescents’
perception and knowledge about family planning so
as to provide baseline data to guide in interventions
towards improving contraceptive use.
Aim:- The aim of the study was to determine
knowledge and perception of adolescents about
family planning.
Method:- A cross-sectional design was used for this
study. A purposive non-probability method of
sampling was used to recruit 150 adolescents of both
genders who were schooling in Ayawaso-central
district of the Accra Metropolis. A structured
questionnaire containing open ended questions,
closed ended questions and rating scales was used as
the tool for collecting data from respondents.
Results:- Findings from this study revealed that
about 67% of participants were aware of family
planning but only 10% of them had in-depth
knowledge about family planning. Although
awareness level was high among the participants,
myths about family planning existed. Also, 60% of
respondents perceived family planning usage as not
important in adolescence even though 27% claim to
be sexually active.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there is a
high level of awareness but low in-depth knowledge
about family planning among adolescents in the area.
The adolescents also associated myths and negative
perceptions to family planning usage. There is
therefore a need for in-depth education on family
planning and not just awareness creation. We
therefore recommend the setting up of adolescent
sexual and family planning clubs in Junior High
Schools to serve as channels for providing in-depth
education to pupils.