If you’ve held the belief that a significant number of young girls are becoming sexually active before marriage, it’s time to reconsider.

Findings from the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) by the Ghana Statistical Services (GSS) indicate that approximately 49.8% (or roughly half) of unmarried girls aged 15-24 have not engaged in sexual intercourse.

In the section of the report that sought to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of young people and their relation to HIV and AIDS, the Ghana Statistical Service disclosed that 50% of never-married women aged 15-24 had engaged in pre-marital sexual intercourse, with 47% of men between that age range engaging in same.

Of never-married women aged 15-19, 33.9% (1 out of every 3) had engaged in sexual intercourse, with only 24.1% of never-married women aged 20-24 (1 out of 4) being virgins (never engaged in sexual intercourse).

Never-married men aged 15-24 per the report, had similar characteristics with 53.8% of them never having sexual intercourse.

According to the Statistical Service, the proportion of never-married young women who have never had sexual intercourse has seen a decline from the 55% recorded in 2008 to the 2022 figure of 50%. The proportion of never-married young men who have never had sexual intercourse also declined from 60% in 2008 to 53% in 2022.