Ever Used Contraception, Sexual Abstinence, and Infants Breastfeeding among Women in Ghana

¹Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

²Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana

*Corresponding author: Anthony Edward Boakye, Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana, Phone: +233503767242, ORCID: 0000-0002-4017-8351, Email: [email protected]

Received Date: July 14, 2025

Published Date: October 16, 2025

Citation: Boakye AE, et al. (2025). Ever Used Contraception, Sexual Abstinence, and Infants Breastfeeding among Women in Ghana. Mathews J Nurs. 7(2):64.

Copyrights: Boakye AE, et al. © (2025).

ABSTRACT

Background: Infants breastfeeding, when delayed after birth, the consequences can be life-threatening – and the longer newborns are left waiting, the greater their risk of death. Objective: Based on this assertion, the study attempts to investigate the extent to which ever used contraception and sexual abstinence influences infants breastfeeding among women in Ghana. Methods: Data for the study were extracted from the 2022 GDHS data. Data extracted revolved ever used contraception, sexual abstinence, and infants breastfeeding. SPSS version 27 was used to processed the data and were analysed with frequency distribution, chi-squared test, and binary logistic regression. The frequency distribution was used to summarise participants’ responses into proportions. The chi-squared test was used to test the hypotheses postulated in the study to either approve or disprove the null hypotheses. However, the binary logistic regression was used to determine the influence ever used contraception and sexual abstinence exert on infants breastfeeding among Ghanaian women. Results: The study found that ever used contraceptive within the calendar period, and sexual abstinence were positively correlated with infants breastfeeding. Also, it emerged that only 23% of women were practicing infants breastfeeding prior to the study. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that reproductive behaviours such as contraceptive use and sexual abstinence are major predictors of infants breastfeeding practices among Ghanaian women. Therefore, the study recommends that any public health strategy that would be instituted by Ghana Health Service to promote infants breastfeeding should integrate family planning education and culturally sensitive support for postpartum sexual health practices.

Keywords: Abstaining from Sexual Activity, Babyhood Feeding, Ever Used Birth Control.