Inter-generational sex causes rise in HIV among adolescents

The Ghana AIDS Commission has expressed worry over the increasing prevalence of HIV among adolescents.

It said out of the 20,068 new infections recorded in 2019, 5,613 representing 28 per cent were between the ages of 15 and 24.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Director-General of the commission, Mr Kyeremeh Atuahene, said the indication was that those young persons were being infected by older persons.

“Raising awareness among this age group has become critical because our analysis indicate that these young people are not being infected by their peers but older persons, giving an indication of inter-generational sex,” he said.

Mr Atuahene said the commission, with support from its partners, was intensifying education and sensitisation among the youth to empower them to make informed decisions regarding their sexual lives.

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He appealed to the media to use their wide reach to advance the sharing of accurate educational information with the public to help reduce stigma and new infections and encourage behaviour change.

He pointed out that the annual average of infections had remained at more than 20,000 although new infections had reduced by about five per cent between 2015 and 2019.

“If this trend, is allowed to continue, 200,000 more newly infected Ghanaians will be added to the HIV population over the next 10 years,” the Director-General said.

SOURCE: graphiconline