The Ghana AIDS Commission attributes the increasing cases of HIV in the country to the reckless lifestyle choices of young people, particularly engaging in high-risk unprotected sex.
Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene, highlighted the trend in an interview with JoyNews, emphasizing that individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 often live recklessly with little concern for their health. He pointed out that this behaviour has led to a significant increase in new infections among this age group.
“Young people are getting infected. Between 2010 and 2016, new infections among young people aged 24 and younger increased by 45%. The reason for this is the fact that they are not taking responsibility for their lives,” Dr. Atuahene explained.
The Director-General referred to the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey report, which revealed that young people undertake risky behaviours exposing them to HIV infections without taking adequate protective measures. He emphasized the importance of protection, including the use of condoms during high-risk sexual encounters, and noted that knowledge of HIV prevention is relatively low among young people.
The latest Demographic and Health Survey report by the Ghana AIDS Commission disclosed that over 45,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are HIV positive. The overall HIV cases in Ghana stand at over 355,000, with 100,000 individuals previously unaware of their status. The report further detailed that females account for nearly 240,000 cases, while males account for close to 115,000 infections.
