Clinical Medicine Reviews in Patient Care

Background: Although several reproductive health interventions, such as the Adolescent Reproductive Health Policy, have been introduced in Ghana, many young people find it uneasy seeking for reproductive health information and services. Yet, most studies about utilization of reproductive health services in Ghana focus on adolescents without considering young people aged above 19 years.

Objectives: This article appraises the utilization of reproductive health services among young people aged 15–24 years. It covers the sources of their reproductive health services, while barriers inhibiting them from obtaining their desired services have also been highlighted.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Sawua community in Ghana, using questionnaires. Responses from 240 young people (aged 15–24 years) living in the community were used as the database for this paper.

Results: Generally, less than half of the young people utilized reproductive health services within 12 months preceding the survey. The media, their peers, and health service providers were the main sources of reproductive health information and services for them while shyness, financial constraints, and opposite gender of health service providers were the reported deterrents to the use of reproductive health services.

Conclusions: There is need for professional reproductive health services for the young people, which takes cognizance of gender and age differences, as well as affordability of the reproductive health products and services.