Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the sexual behavior patterns of student athletes of senior high schools in the Upper East Region of Ghana and to assess the differences in sexual behavior patterns between male and females. A sample of 400 student athletes using a convenience sampling technique from public senior high schools was drawn to complete a self-designed research study. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test tool were used to analyze the collected data. The results showed that student athletes practiced various forms of sexual behaviors such as celibacy, foreplay, vaginal-penile sex, sexual fantasy, masturbation, oral sex, and anal sex. The Chi-square analysis showed significant gender differences in prevalence of masturbation (χ2 (1, n = 400) = 4.6962, probability = 0.030) and sexual fantasy (χ2 (1, n = 400) = 6.8477, probability = 0.009), but not vaginal-penile intercourse (χ2 (1, n = 400) = 1.3197, probability = 0.251) and celibacy (χ2, (1, n = 400) = 0.0721, probability = 0.788). The study concludes that student athletes of senior high schools might be vulnerable to unplanned parenthood and are at risk of STIs, including HIV. Regular health promotion campaigns on sexual risk-taking behaviors are required to help reduce the prevalence of student athletes’ indulgence in risky sexual behavior patterns that can harm their health. It is essential to implement gender-specific interventions (e.g., decision-making skills) when addressing the problems of sexual behaviors among the student athletes in the region.
Highlights
Student athletes who engage in sports develop a higher social status than non-student athletes, thereby influencing their attitudes towards sexual relations [1]
The findings of the study revealed that SHS student athletes in the Upper East Region practiced various forms of sexual behaviors such as celibacy, foreplay, vaginal-penile sex, sexual fantasy, masturbation, oral sex, and anal sex
The findings suggest that some student athletes in senior high schools in the Upper East
Summary
Student athletes who engage in sports develop a higher social status than non-student athletes, thereby influencing their attitudes towards sexual relations [1]. It has been established that there is a significant relationship between sports participation and higher indulgence in sexual behavior, with student athletes reporting more than non-student athletes [2]. It appears the nexus between sport participation and sexual behavior is mediated by gender. Faurie, Pontier, and Raymond [2] found that both male and female student athletes engaged in various forms of sexual behavior more than others. Miller et al [3] observed that male athletes reported higher rates of sexual experience than their female counterparts. Zakaria, Adams, Ibrahim, and Iddrisu [4], in a study conducted among colleges of education students in Northern Ghana, examined
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