SOURCE: GNA
The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has asked the public not to engage in ‘risky’ sexual activities as the nation celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director General of the Commission, said risky sexual activity was having sex with someone you do not know and not aware of his or her HIV status.
“Risky sex could also be casual sex when people who meet for the first time have sex without protection within a short period after meeting, risky sex is when you have anal sex without protection and having sex with multiple sexual partners without protection.”
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Dr Atuahene advised the public to take responsibility for their lives as the nation celebrates Easter.
“Easter is a period where the global community should acknowledge the need to protect people from any act that can undermine their health,” he said.
He cautioned persons who have untreated Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) to desist from having unprotected sex and putting people’s lives at risk.
“As we celebrate Easter, I would like to remind the public that HIV is still with us and everyone needs to protect themselves as sexual contact is the main cause of new HIV infections in the country,” he said.
Dr Atuahene said as people observe the Easter with leisure activities such as the Kwahu Easter festivities, keep fit with special exercise, Easter conventions, picnics, and beach activities, it was necessary for people to protect themselves by checking and knowing their HIV status.
“Easter is a period where we commemorate the death and resurrections of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ who came to save mankind from their sins and the penalty of sin which is death and in this season, it is important that this event of Christ suffering and resurrection reminds us of the need to preserve lives,” he said.
He said Ghanaians seemed to have become complacent with HIV and it appeared as though it was not an issue of public health but each year, over 16,000 people get infected with HIV and more than 10,000 people die of AIDS related diseases.
Easter is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
AIDS is a chronic immune system disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
HIV damages the immune system and interferes with the body’s ability to fight infections and diseases. It can be spread through contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids.
There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but medications can control the infection and prevent disease progression.