Ghanaian parents use varying approaches to sexual and reproductive health communication with adolescents, ranging from proactive and open to authoritative communication, shaped by cultural norms, parental comfort levels, and perceived adolescent maturity.
Key Findings
Results
Two broad themes emerged from parental approaches to SRH communication: timing of SRH information communication and SRH information communication style.
The study used a qualitative descriptive design with thematic analysis conducted inductively following Braun and Clarke's approach.
Ten parents were interviewed, with sample size determined by data saturation.
Participants were selected through purposive sampling from Asante Akyem North Municipality in Ghana.
Themes were identified to capture the complexity of how parents approach SRH conversations with their adolescents.
Results
Parental approaches to SRH communication ranged from proactive and open to authoritative communication styles.
Some parents took a proactive approach, initiating SRH conversations with adolescents before potentially risky situations arose.
Other parents employed authoritative communication, suggesting a more directive and less dialogic style of information sharing.
The variation in communication style was shaped by cultural norms, parental comfort levels, and perceived adolescent maturity.
The findings underscore 'the complexity of parent-adolescent SRH communication' across these different approaches.
Results
Cultural norms influenced the timing and manner in which Ghanaian parents communicated SRH information to their adolescents.
The study was conducted in Asante Akyem North Municipality, a specific cultural context in Ghana.
Cultural norms were identified as one of the key factors shaping parental SRH communication approaches.
Parental comfort levels also played a role in determining how and when SRH topics were discussed.
Perceived adolescent maturity affected parents' decisions about the timing of SRH information sharing.
Conclusions
The findings highlight the need for interventions that enhance parent-adolescent SRH communication skills.
Parent-adolescent SRH communication is recognized as 'an important protective factor against risky sexual behaviors and associated health problems, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies.'
The complexity of communication approaches identified suggests that a one-size-fits-all intervention may be insufficient.
The study underscores that communication barriers related to cultural norms and parental comfort need to be addressed in intervention design.
The qualitative nature of the study (n=10) means findings reflect depth of experience rather than statistical generalizability.
What This Means
This research suggests that parents in Ghana use a wide variety of approaches when talking to their teenagers about sexual and reproductive health (SRH), including topics like sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. Some parents are proactive and open, starting conversations early and encouraging dialogue, while others take a more authoritative approach, delivering information in a more one-directional way. The study, which involved in-depth interviews with 10 parents in the Asante Akyem North Municipality of Ghana, found that these differences are shaped by local cultural norms, how comfortable parents feel discussing these topics, and how mature they perceive their child to be.
The research highlights that parent-adolescent conversations about sexual health are widely recognized as an important way to protect young people from risky sexual behaviors. However, the findings show that actually having these conversations is complicated, and many factors influence whether and how they happen. The study used a qualitative approach, meaning it focused on understanding the experiences and perspectives of a small group of parents in depth rather than measuring outcomes across a large population.
This research suggests that programs aiming to improve sexual health outcomes for adolescents in Ghana should focus on building parents' communication skills and confidence, while also being sensitive to cultural context. Simply providing parents with information may not be enough if cultural discomfort or differing ideas about when adolescents are ready for these conversations remain unaddressed. The authors call for targeted interventions that help parents navigate these challenges more effectively.
Agyei F, Kaura D, Bell J. (2025). Parental approaches to sexual and reproductive health information communication with adolescents in Ghana.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1609491