GAC urges adolescents to abstain from premarital sex to prevent HIV

The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has revealed that many adolescent girls in the country contract HIV during their first sexual experience, describing the trend as alarming.

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim Bimbilla, Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regional Technical Coordinator of the GAC, advised sexually active girls to abstain from premarital sex. For those unable to resist sexual urges, he recommended avoiding unprotected sex and multiple partners, emphasising that total abstinence remains the surest protection against HIV and AIDS.

He delivered the message while addressing a radio clinic and community forum of the Sunyani Adolescent Parliament, an initiative under the “Resilient City for Adolescents (RCA)” project. The programme is implemented by the Global Media Foundation (GloMeF) in partnership with the Women Empowerment Network and Citizens Watch Ghana, with funding from the Swiss Botnar Foundation. The £300,000 project seeks to improve the well-being of adolescents.

Mr Bimbilla noted that despite HIV and AIDS being incurable, rising sexual activity among adolescents continues to expose them to health risks. He also warned of the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and urged both boys and girls to protect themselves. He reassured that adolescents living with HIV could access antiretroviral therapy to live long, healthy lives.

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Mrs Joseph Yalley, Bono Regional Officer of the Girls Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service, revealed that schoolgirl pregnancies dropped from 500 in 2023 to 181 in 2024, attributing the decline to intensified sexual education programmes and calling for more community support.

Similarly, Mrs Felicia Konadu, Health Promotion Officer at the Bono Regional Directorate of Health, advocated for the creation of adolescent health clubs in basic schools to provide accurate information on sexual and reproductive health and help reduce teenage pregnancies.

Mr Edward Ayabilah, Programme Manager of GloMeF, highlighted that the RCA project also aims to strengthen citizen participation in local governance while improving adolescents’ lives.

The forum underlined the need for continued sexual education, community engagement, and health interventions to protect young people from HIV, STIs, and teenage pregnancies.