• Frederica Jackson and Zelalem T Haile.
• Department of Social and Public Health, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Ohio University, Grover Center W347, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
• Afr Health Sci. 2023 Mar 1; 23 (1): 301308301-308.

BackgroundGhanaian female youth aged 15-24 years are especially vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared to their male counterparts.ObjectivesThis study examined the association between educational attainment and risky sexual behavior among Ghanaian female youth.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted using a nationally representative sample of youth from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (n=1702). The outcome of interest was risky sexual behavior, defined as having last intercourse with a non-marital partner without condoms. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were utilized.ResultsOverall, the prevalence of risky sexual behavior was 66.9%. In the bivariate analysis, risky sexual behavior differed by level of education. Compared to women with a college-level education, a significantly higher proportion of women with secondary education reported risky sexual behavior (72.9%), followed by those with primary education (65.7%) (p<0.001). In the multivariable-adjusted model, there was a significant interaction between education and household wealth index (P =0.030) and between education and the type of place of residence (P =0.045) on risky sexual behavior.ConclusionCulturally appropriate and targeted interventions are warranted to increase condom use among these subgroups and curb the rising rates of STIs among Ghanaian female youth.© 2023 Jackson F et al.

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