10 major highlights of GSS survey on sexual habits of Ghanaian men and women

The Ghana Statistical Service has dominated the media space in Ghana over the week, following the release of its 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS).

Most Ghanaians have particularly been reacting to the portions of the survey on the ‘multiple sexual partners and higher-risk sexual intercourse’ behaviour of men and women in the country.

In some cases, some Ghanaian men have shown happiness at the findings of the 2022 GDHS, which in a way “rubbished” the perception that men in the country are “sexual predators” and must be feared.

Does the survey, in essence, point in the direction of, perhaps, the “fear women” school of thought?

Here are highlights of the findings on the sexual behaviours of men and women in Ghana to help situate the above question:

Sexual behaviour of Ghanaian women:

1. Ghanaian women ‘love’ having ‘raw sex’:

The 2022 GHDS showed that majority of Ghanaian women like having unprotected sex. The survey showed that less than 20 percent of Ghanaian women (about 2 out of every 10 women) have sex with their partner(s) using condoms.

About 17 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 24 percent have sex with condoms. The percentage of women condom users even drops to 8.7 percent for those between the ages of 25 and 29 years and to 6.5 percent for women between 30 to 39 years, the report indicated.

2. Ghanaian women have more than 2 sexual partners in their lifetimes:

The survey also found that women in Ghana have more than 2 sexual partners in their lifetimes.

Married women in Ghana have at least 2 lifetime sex partners, the same goes for unmarried women. But divorced women have more than 3-lifetime sexual partners.

The survey also showed that 3 percent of women between 15 and 24 years had two or more partners in the last 12 months; 3.4 percent of women between 25 and 29 years had two or more partners; 1.5 of women between 30 and 39 years, and 0.8 percent of women between 40 and 49 years.

3. Less than 4 percent of woman cheat on their spouses:

The GSS also found that less than 4 percent of married women or women living together with their spouses have sex outside their relationship (marriage or cohabitation).

Out of the women who cheat on their spouses, about 10 percent of them say they do so without wearing condoms.

The survey also showed that less than 1 percent of ‘married/living together’ women had other sexual partners. 6.6 percent of these women indicated they have unprotected sex with their partners.

4. About 50 percent of ‘unmarried women’ have sex with people who are not their partners:

The survey also showed that more than 46 percent of single women and divorced (or separated or widowed) women have sex with other people they are not in relationships with.

For the single women, 12.6 percent of them indicated they had sex with other people using a condom, while only 4.2 percent of divorced (or separated or widowed) women used condoms.

Over 3.4 percent of single women indicated they had two or more partners, while 4 percent of divorced (or separated or widowed) indicated they had two or more partners.

5. Women from the North East Region are the ‘most faithful women’

The survey also showed that women in the North East Region are the most faithful in the country, with less than 9 percent of them having sex with persons who are not their partners in the last 12 months, followed by women from the Northern Region, (10.8 percent); Upper West (12.2 percent), Savannah (12.8 percent) and Upper East (13.2 percent).

The findings also show that women in the Central Region are the most promiscuous, with some 28.3 percent of them having sex with persons who are not their partners; followed by the Bono Region (28.1 percent); Ashanti (27.3 percent) and Western North (26.4).

The remaining regions had between 20 to 26 percent of their women having sexual relations with people who are not their partners.

The Central Region also tops the list of regions with women with two or more sexual partners with nearly 5 percent of them having two or more sexual partners; followed by the Western Region (3.5 percent); Bono Region (2.8 percent); Volta (2.1 percent) and Northern (2.1 percent).

The remaining regions had less than 2 percent of their women having multiple partners.

Sexual behaviour of Ghanaian men:

Ghanaian men love using condoms:

The 2022 GHDS showed that unlike women, more Ghanaian men do not like having unprotected sex. The survey showed that averagely, more than 25 percent of Ghanaian men (about 4 out of every 10 men) have sex with their partner(s) using condoms.

Over 24.7 percent of men between the ages of 15 and 24 percent have sex with condoms. The percentage of men condom users drops to 23.4 percent for those between the ages of 25 and 29 years, and to 15.9 percent for men between 30 to 39 years.

Ghanaian men have more than 5 partners in their lifetime:

The survey also found that men in Ghana have more than 5 sexual partners in their lifetime.

Married men in Ghana have more than 7 lifetime sex partners; unmarried men have more than 5 sexual partners and divorced men have more than 10-lifetime sexual partners.

The survey also showed that almost 10 percent of men between 15 and 24 years had two or more partners in the last 12 months; more than 23 percent of men between 25 and 29 years had two or more partners; 18.8 of men between 30 and 39 years and 14.3 percent of men between 40 and 49 years.

Less than 18 percent of men cheat on their wives:

The GSS also found that more than 18 percent of married men or men living together with their spouses have sex outside their relationship (marriage or cohabitation).

Out of the men who cheat on their spouses, more than 25 percent of them say they do so without wearing condoms.

The survey also showed that more than 17.5 percent of ‘married/living together’ men had other sexual partners. 6.8 percent of these men indicated they have unprotected sex with their partners.

About 60 percent of ‘unmarried men’ have sex with people who are not their partners:

The survey also showed that more than 46 percent of single men and nearly 70 percent divorced (or separated or widowed) men have sex with other people they are not in relationships with.

For the single men, more than 30 percent of them indicated they had sex with other people using a condom, while only 18.3 percent of divorced (or separated or widowed) men used condoms.

Nearly 13 percent of single men indicated they had two or more partners, while almost 19 percent of divorced (or separated or widowed) men indicated they had two or more partners.

Men from the Upper West Region are the ‘most faithful’

The survey also showed that men in the Upper West are the most faithful in the country, with about 15.5 percent of them having sex with persons who are not their partners in the last 12 months, followed by men from the Northern Region, (19.1 percent); North East Region (19.2 percent), Savannah (20.3 percent) and Upper East (27.6 percent).

The findings also shows that men in the Western North are the most promiscuous with some 42.1 percent of them having sex with persons who are not their partners; followed by the Volta Region (41.6 percent); Western Region (41.2); Central Region (39.7 percent); and the Bono Region (39.2 percent)

The remaining regions had between 30 to 40 percent of their men having sexual relations with people who are not their partners.

The Western North also tops the list of regions with men with two or more sexual partners, with 21.5 percent of them having two or more sexual partners; followed by the Greater Accra Region (20.5 percent); Volta (19.4 percent); North East (19.3 percent) and Bono (16.5 percent).

The remaining regions had not less than 10 percent of their men having multiple partners.

Read the full report below:



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