Religious affiliation and sexual initiation among Ghanaian women

Religious disffernces in sexual initiation are examined using the Ghana Dem ographic and Health Survey 1993 (GDHS), for never-married and ever married women aged 15-49. Findings are presented with and without controls for educ ation, childhood place of residence, age cohort, and age at first marriage riage (for ever-married women). Generally, the analyses suggest that religi ous affiliation is an important predictor of premarital sexual engagement a mong ever-married women but not for women who have never-married. The resul ts from multivariate analyses reveal that women belonging to liberal religi ous groups (Protestants and Catholic) are more likely to experience premari tal sex than are those from the more conservative Traditional religions, se ctarian Christians, or women with No Religion. Muslim women are significant ly less likely to report premarital sex compared to any group and controlli ng for all other factors. Implications of these findings are discussed.