Influence of leisure on sexual behaviour of young people with hearing and vision loss in Ghana

ABSTRACT

Despite the potential of leisure to shape the sexual behaviour of young people with disability, there is limited knowledge on the subject. This paper explores the influence of leisure on the sexual behaviour of young people with hearing and vision loss, using data from 2127 young people aged 10–24 years from all the 16 special schools for the deaf and the blind in Ghana. The findings revealed that young people with hearing and vision loss who engaged in leisure have a higher likelihood of engaging in kissing and casual sex with the odds being higher for those with vision loss. Young people with hearing loss who engaged in leisure were, however, more inclined towards sex with a regular partner. The findings illuminate the influence of informal spaces on the sexual behaviour of young people with disability, hence the need to consider such spaces in the provision of reproductive health education.

KEYWORDS:

• Casual sex
• disability
• leisure
• reproductive health
• social inclusion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme

Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme is an associate professor at the Department of Population and Health of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His research interests include reproductive health, health insurance, ocular health of the aged, tuberculosis and disability studies. Akwasi has a number of publications (articles, books and technical reports) on the areas of interests listed above.

Issahaku Adam

Issahaku Adam is an associate professor at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His research interests include inclusive leisure, accessible tourism, tourist behaviour and experience, sustainable tourism, crises management in tourism, backpacker vulnerabilities, and gendered entrepreneurial pathways in tourism.

Charles Atanga Adongo

Charles Atanga Adongo is a lecturer at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and a Research Associate at the School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg (South Africa). His academic research focuses on behavioral health, and micro-economics of tourists and tourism businesses. At the enterprise and community levels, he focuses on measuring impact investing and interventions.

Georgina Yaa Oduro

Georgina Yaa Oduro is a senior lecturer with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, as well as the Director of the Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD) of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Dr. Oduro's PhD focused on Gender relations, sexuality and HIV/AIDS education from a youth culture perspective. This study has informed her research interest in Gender Issues, Violence, Sexuality, Youth Cultures, Popular Culture and Race and Ethnicity. She has expertise in qualitative research methodologies. Georgina has published extensively in renowned handbooks and journals with some featuring in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Race and Racism (forthcoming).

Eugene Kofuor Maafo Darteh

Eugene Kofuor Maafo Darteh, Ph.D., MPhil, BA (Hons) is a Professor of Social Dimensions of Sexual and Reproductive Health at the Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast. His research focuses on Social determinants of Sexual and Reproductive Health; Social and Behaviourial Change Communication; Population and Development and emerging population issues such as gender-based violence, urban slum, HIV/AIDS, adolescents and transitions

Yvonne Ami Adjakloe

Yvonne Dodzi Ami Adjakloe is a lecturer at the Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Cape Coast and holds a PhD in Gender Studies. As a gender and development geographer, her primary research interests have been in the field of gender and water resources governance, gender and health and environment and energy. Her interest in ensuring gender equality both in the academic and social spheres is reflected in her passion for gender-related issues everywhere she finds herself. She has collaborated with her colleagues from the University of Hanze (The Netherlands) in finding media-based solutions to sexual harassment issues amongst the youth in Ghana and Girl empowerment.