Contraceptive use among adolescents in Ghana is low. Factors influencing adolescent contraceptive use in Techiman Municipality have not been investigated. This study aimed to determine factors influencing contraceptive use among adolescents in Techiman Municipality. An analytical cross-sectional community-based study was conducted from January-March, 2018 among adolescents between the ages of 16 and 19 years whoever had sex. Respondents were selected through multi-stage sampling. Data was collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Factors associated with contraceptive use were assessed using logistic regression to generate crude and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Altogether, 298 adolescents who have ever had sex were studied. The mean age was 17.5 years (standard deviation 1.1 years). About 53% were out-of-school adolescents and 43.6% had sex within the four weeks preceding the interview, with out-of-school adolescents being more likely to have had sex (53.8% vs. 32.1%; p<0.001). Contraceptive knowledge and ever use were 75.0% and 65% respectively. The most commonly used contraceptives were condoms (54%) and emergency contraception (31%). Significant factors influencing contraceptive use were; father’s educational level (AOR4.86; 95% CI 1.70 – 13.91; p<0.001) and prior discussion of contraceptive use with partner (AOR 3.96; 95% CI 1.32 – 11.89; p=0.01). Contraceptive use was high, but few (10%) relied on LARCs. Adolescents should be encouraged to discuss contraceptive use with their sexual partners during sexual health and contraceptive counselling. Strategies for improving LARC uptake among adolescents should be investigated.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

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The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Committee on Human Research, Publications and Ethics of the School of Medical Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (CHRPE/AP/434/17). Participants gave informed consent to participate in the study before they were recruited into the study. For adolescents under 18 years, consent was obtained from a parent/guardian with assent from the adolescent.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

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I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

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Data relating to the study findings has been attached as "Supporting Information" for your attention. Database on the factors influencing contraceptive use among adolescents in Techiman Municipality, 2018. Variables: id number, age, sex, level of education, religion, marital status, living arrangement, residential status, ever use contraceptive (yes = 1, no = 2), current use of contraceptives (yes = 1, no = 2), ever had sex (yes = 1, no = 2), current sex (yes = 1, no = 2), aware of contraceptive method before use (yes = 1, no = 2).