A new study by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), UNICEF, and the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is challenging conventional adolescent pregnancy interventions by spotlighting the role of adolescent boys in reducing unprotected sex and unintended pregnancies.
Traditionally, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programmes in Ghana have focused predominantly on adolescent girls. But a Behavioural Insights Study conducted between 2022 and 2025 across Greater Accra and the Eastern Region reveals a significant oversight: adolescent boys often hold more sexual decision-making power yet remain underserved by current initiatives.
According to Dr. Kennedy Brightson, Director of the Family Health Division at GHS, nearly 70% of adolescent pregnancies result from adolescent girls’ inability to insist on condom use. “It’s time we shift the narrative,” he said. “Girls need empowerment, but boys must be equally targeted with education and responsibility.”
The study reveals several reasons why boys often resist condom use—ranging from myths about reduced sexual pleasure to stigma around buying or discussing condoms. These misconceptions, along with limited access in youth-friendly environments, contribute to high rates of unprotected sex.
In response, GHS and partners piloted an innovative intervention: distributing condoms at betting shops, where trained staff—dubbed “human dispensers”—provided adolescent boys with condoms and non-judgmental SRH education. This creative, culturally relevant approach saw encouraging results, pointing to the effectiveness of behavioural science in addressing deep-rooted norms.
Ms. Sharifata Mohammed, GHS Adolescent Health Programme Lead, stressed the need for interventions to be gender-inclusive and context-specific. “We have to meet young people where they are—not just physically but emotionally and socially,” she said.
The broader implications of adolescent pregnancy—such as school dropouts, child marriage, maternal complications like fistula, and heightened vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections—remain a critical public health concern. Ghana’s adolescent birth rate currently stands at 78 per 1,000 girls aged 15–19, with nearly 70% of these pregnancies deemed unintended.
Dr. Brightson emphasized the urgency of reorienting public health messaging: “Adolescent girls must feel empowered to say, ‘If it’s not on, it’s not in.’ But we must also raise boys to respect that choice.”
UNICEF’s Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, Mrs. Charity Nikoi, echoed calls for multi-sectoral collaboration between parents, teachers, and healthcare providers. “Adolescents navigate all these spheres. If we want sustained change, all three must work together.”
The study calls for scaling up successful interventions, integrating behavioural insights into national policies, and redefining Ghana’s approach to teenage pregnancy—by addressing the attitudes and behaviours of both girls and boys.
