Many Ghanaian preteens can name HIV but remain unaware of other sexually transmitted diseases, revealing deep gaps in sex education that experts say could endanger the next generation’s health, according to a new study by researchers at Sociology and Social Work department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Published in the BMC Reproductive Health journal, the study surveyed 373 pupils aged 11 to 15 in six public schools in Koforidua.

It found that while two-thirds of them had heard of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), most could only identify HIV, with little or no awareness of other infections like chlamydia, syphilis, or genital warts.

The researchers described the findings as a “wake-up call” for Ghana’s education and health authorities.

“Many of these children are growing up with half-truths or no knowledge at all about common infections beyond HIV,” said lead author Mr. Richard Ofori of the Department of Sociology and Social Work. “If this continues, it leaves them vulnerable to preventable diseases as they mature.”

The study also revealed an unexpected trend: pupils’ knowledge of STDs declined as they advanced from primary to junior high school, suggesting that lessons on sexual health are either irregular or absent in the upper grades.

Researchers found that adolescents who had never dated were also less likely to know about STDs compared to those who had some exposure to relationships.

Globally, over one million people contract treatable sexually transmitted infections every day, according to the World Health Organization, with sub-Saharan Africa carrying one of the heaviest burdens.

In Ghana, sexually transmitted infections affect an estimated 3.4% of the population, but limited awareness and stigma continue to undermine prevention efforts.

The researchers are calling on the Ghana Education Service to integrate comprehensive, age-appropriate sexual health education into primary and junior high school curricula to close the knowledge gap.

“Teaching our children early, and doing so consistently, is not about encouraging sex it’s about equipping them with the right information to protect their health and their future,” the researchers said.

Other authors of the study include, Dr. (Mrs) Mary Sefa Boampong, Mr. Andrew Nketsia Arthur, Ms. Dorcas Sekyi, and Dr. Dr. Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah, all from the Department of Sociology and Social Work.