TITLE:
Assessment of Sex-Related Correlates of Condom Use Behavior among Adolescents and Young Adult Men in Ghana
AUTHORS:
Binol Rajesh Balachandar, Ikenna Obasi Odii
KEYWORDS:
Condom Use Behavior, Adolescents and Young Adults, Safe Sex, Men, Ghana
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Sexual Medicine,
Vol.16 No.1,
January
20,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Although condom utilization may be constrained by social stigma and religious norms, adolescents and young adult (AYA) men can adopt condom behavioral changes to reduce negative reproductive health outcomes. This study examines the sex-related correlates of condom use behavior among AYA men aged 15 - 24 years in Ghana. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on the men’s dataset of the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (n = 2453). Descriptive characteristics were summarized using frequencies and proportions. Pearson’s Chi-square tests of association and a binary logistic regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between independent variables (sexual activity, multiple sexual partnerships, history of sexually transmitted infections STIs, genital sores, and genital discharge), and the dependent variable (condom use behavior). Results: The findings from the Chi-square tests indicate that during their latest sexual encounters, condom usage rates were 19.3% among sexually active participants, 29% among those with multiple sexual partners, 21.6% among those with a history of STIs, and 12.5% and 21.3% among those with histories of genital sores and discharge, respectively. The logistic regression analysis results suggest that there were significantly higher odds of condom utilization among participants who engaged in multiple sexual partnerships (AOR = 29.87, 95% CI = 12.19 - 73.21, p Conclusion: Condom use is sub-optimal, and engaging in multiple sexual partnerships appears to be a significant correlate of condom use behavior among sexually experienced AYA men in Ghana. Initiatives targeting the reduction of adverse sexual reproductive health outcomes should prioritize expanding safe-sex behavioral interventions and communication strategies focused on ensuring the consistent accessibility of condoms for young men with a history of multiple sexual encounters, thereby encouraging regular condom utilization in Ghana.