Girls cannot be trusted: young men’s perspectives on contraceptive decision making and sexual relationships in Bolgatanga, Ghana

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic characteristics and sexual experience of participant sample (n = 20).

Variable	n
Age, mean (SD)	18.4 (1.81)
Religion
Christian	12
Muslim	7
Traditional	1
Education
Primary school	3
High school^a	15
Tertiary education	2
Family situation
Small, single parent	11
Large	9
Sexual intercourse experience
Yes	13
No	7
Impregnated a girl
Yes, but aborted	1
Yes, now caring for baby	2
No/don’t know	17

^a Eight respondents were still attending high school.

Table 2. Overview of quotes and illustrating the results, organized based on the theme.

Theme	Quote	Participant
Girls and relationships	‘For guys, you do not have to trust a girl because she can disappoint you at any time. Unless maybe when you are married, then you have to trust your wife’.	Atinga (age 20)
	I: ‘Does your girlfriend know about these other girls’? P: ‘No, if she knew she would leave, so I know I have to hide to do those things’. I: ‘Would you leave her if she had other boyfriends’? P: ‘Yeah, I would leave her’.	Atinga (age 20)
	‘Girls are deceitful and also spoil guys. You can be in a relationship where you will be giving the girl money and everything you have and 1 day she will go after another boy and leave you’.	Azuma (age 18)
	‘If you don't have a woman, they consider you to be a woman because a man will have a girlfriend’.	Akutam (age 19)
Experience of condom use	‘I use condoms when I meet different girls that I do not know, but to my girlfriend, I know when she is always not safe for pregnancy, so when she is not safe then, I use a condom. However […] when she is safe, I use raw’.	Atanga (age 17)
Responsibility for pregnancy prevention	‘Because it is you the guy who want the sex and can get her pregnant, so you have to take responsibility for your actions’.	Mmalebna (age 17)
	‘The girls are now wise, so if you are having sex with them without condoms, they don't feel happy and may even refuse to have sex. So when you know you are planning for sex, I suppose you carry a condom’.	Nyaba (age 17)
Communication about sex	‘Maybe sometimes you have a problem with your girlfriend. Then you just seek your friends for advice […] among the options, I choose the one which I think is most appropriate’.	Atiah (age 18)
	‘My mother always tells me to take time, like I should take time with girls […], that is all […] she does not tell more’.	Ayuba (age 18)
Attitudes towards safe sexual behaviours, teenage pregnancy and abortion	‘I think sex is not bad but the pastor […] and the teachers always say it is bad’.	Anafo (age 16)
	‘If it happens that I make a girl pregnant, she will have to abort it. That is the best option’.	Amidu (age 17)
Risk perceptions of pregnancy and STIs	‘A condom is very important. Some other girls don't prefer using condoms. They just want to sleep in that way. It is dangerous to do that. If you don't trust the girl, you don't have to have sex with her without condoms because nowadays the girls go around sleeping with so many guys. Without a condom, you are going to put yourself in trouble’.	Azuma (age 18)
	‘Both partners have to think about safe sex. The girl may have in mind that she doesn’t want to become pregnant at that age and therefore needs to use a condom. And the boy may also say, oh, I don't want to engage myself in infections. I also try to buy a condom and do it safely’.	Mmalebna (age 17)
Perceived social norms towards teenage sexuality and pregnancy	‘I think some people normally befriend one girl to another, thinking that they are “niggers” or they put themselves ahead of others […] some of them just think that they are men if their girlfriends are many […] they think they have some men like “niggers” they now put this kind of pose up on them’.	Agana (age 19)
Intentions for condom use	‘I just try to see whether I have some bruises on my penis. Before I have that, maybe […] I just use soap, then see whether I have some sores on my penis and if I am not feeling any pains. And if I think that I’m safe, I will just go in […] That’s what I do; that is the only thing I do’.	Ayuba (age 18)
	‘Sometimes, you may have the plans to use a condom but it just happens, you get into the mood and after it all, you found that you did not use protection’.	Azuma (age 18).

I: interviewer; P: participant.