Virtual but essential: Students’ use of online resources for sexual and reproductive health information during COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana

Sylvia Esther  Gyan; Rosemond Akpene  Hiadzi; Mark Kwaku Mensah  Obeng; Rabiu Kwaku Boakye  Asante; Yvette Akuokor Afowa  Ussher

Sylvia Esther Gyan University of Ghana
Rosemond Akpene Hiadzi University of Ghana
Mark Kwaku Mensah Obeng University of Ghana
Rabiu Kwaku Boakye Asante University of Ghana
Yvette Akuokor Afowa Ussher University of Ghana

Keywords: Sexual and reproductive health, internet sources, COVID-19, young adults

Abstract

Despite the disruptions in various sectors of society because of the COVID-19 mitigating measures, the existence of technological innovations provided alternative means to addressing most of the challenges brought about by the pandemic. The novelty of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase or introduction of and adoption of novel ways of accessing healthcare information and services. Although there are evidence of the youth seeking for sexual and reproductive health information from the internet, there is limited literature on whether the COVID-19 protocols influenced the use of internet information by the young adults in low-and -middle income countries. Using a convenience sample of 367 respondents from six public universities in Ghana, we investigated students use of the internet for information on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The internet sources used by students before and during the pandemic was mainly search engines. Apart from the use of search engines, all the other internet sources saw a decrease in the percentage of students who relied on the internet for information on SRH during the pandemic. This calls for further investigations into why the proportion of students who use social media for SRH information declined during the pandemic.