“Under 18 and a Sexual Being?” Knowledge and Attitudes on Sexuality and Relationships: Adolescents in Boarding Schools in Ghana

In many developing countries, adolescents under 18 are denied their sexual rights through social policies and negative societal perceptions on sexuality and relationships of adolescents. Adolescents are usually denied of their sexual rights because they are seen as children and not grown-ups therefore the less they know the better. Furthermore, adolescents in Ghana who are usually put in boarding schools tend to develop their sexual identities and thinking from societal norms and attitudes. All these have an effect on the attitudes and knowledge of adolescents towards sexuality and relationships. Hence, this research will explore the knowledge and attitudes of adolescents (16-19 years) in senior high boarding schools on taboo issues such as sexual intercourse, sexual pleasure, homosexuality, masturbation, love-play and relationships. With the use of qualitative interviews (focus group discussions, one-on-one interviews and/or in-depth interviews) to discover their reactions and their feelings when talking about such issues considering the conservative environment they find themselves in and how these attitudes are interpreted and understood interlinking this with concepts of hetero-normativity and the ecological model. Also, the research will bring to the table the importance of comprehensive sexuality education for teenagers that does not only talk about abstinence but also makes room for sexual minorities (adolescents who are already sexually active).