HIV/AIDS AND FACTS

This disease has been with us for a very long time and many countries as well as organizations, including the United Nations are doing their possible best to fight against it. The youth are the most infected and the current generation of young people in Ghana is faced with complex challenges, none as critical as the threat of HIV/AIDS. The UNAIDS reports that currently, 11.8 million young people between the ages of 24-25 are living with the disease, 8.6 million of whom live in sub Sahara Africa. About 6000 young people unknowingly get infected with the virus and many will not become aware of their status until 5 or 10 years. They thus continue to transmit the disease further. The youth accounts for more than half of new HIV infections, yet most young people do not consider themselves to be at risk.
The HIV/AIDS prevalence in Ghana is currently estimated at 3% and 90% of all infected persons fall between the ages of 15 and 49 years. 2 out of every 3 persons in Ghana is a WOMAN. The rate at which the disease is spreading is very fast but the youth which I’m part of have the ability to turn the tide against HIV/AIDS by refusing to enguage in high risk activities such as unprotected sex and most importantly ABSTINENCE. Many find ABSTINENCE difficult to understand and practice. Whether this assertion is true or false, it is another topic for discussion in my next article. Watch out for interesting views from some youth of our land. During my training as a peer educator with UNFPA/PPAG/Religious Bodies in 1998, the discussion about ABSTINENCE generated into heated but healthy argument among the 50 participants from across Ghana. I really enjoyed the interesting ideas which were brought up.
Anal sex which is fast growing among the youth and even the old should be frowned upon. Some researches have shown that, comparatively, the risk of transmission of HIV by ordinary vaginal sex is very low and those who practice anal sex are much more likely to turn up HIV positive than those who have vaginal sex. One should not forget that the first reported cases of HIV were among homosexuals in San Francisco in the USA.
Since women are more vulnerable to this dreadful disease than their male counterparts, they must be empowered with the relevant information and education so as to make them play a more significant role in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Ghana.
Furthermore, the youth must be supported to make decisions to abstain from sex as long as possible and educate them about the male and female condom use in order to protect themselves in the near future. Prof. Sakyi A. Amoah, the director-General of Ghana AIDS commission in 2003 reported that they had been working with the Ministry of Education to equip the teachers with necessary skills to make student aware and the need to prevent them from being infected. I think the next step is to include HIV/AIDS (and other Sexually Transmitted Infections, STI) in the national curriculum. The awareness is all over, thus the campaign should be geared towards the house-to-house and community-to-community education. People living with the disease should be made to accompany the educators during the exercise. During one of our educational trips by the Christian Council Peer Educators to Manhean (near Ablekuma) in 2003, we realized that there was no electricity in the community. The community lacked an entertainment centre. The youth used the tombs of dead persons near their houses as entertainment centre during the evenings to enguaged in all sorts of unprotected sexual activities. The rate of teenage pregnancy in the community was very high. Though they had heard of HIV/AIDS they did not believe it existed until we went there again with an infected person.
Everyone should see the need to be part of the ally in the campaign, to end the stigma and discrimination against people living with AIDS. Discrimination against people living with AIDS has been identified as the primary barrier towards prevention, treatment and ultimately the eradication of HIV/AIDS. All must seize the opportunity to break the silence and shame associated with the disease, reach out to people living with the disease and practice safe and exemplary life styles. As we celebrate the Christmas and the New Year, we should bear in mind that AIDS is real and the disease is spreading very fast. Lets all help STOP AIDS and LOVE LIFE for a better Ghana. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Prosperous New Year. May 2009 bring good tidings to the people of Ghana.

FELIX DONKOR,
PEER EDUCATOR, (UNFPA/PPAG/RELIGIOUS BODIES).