The Ghana AIDS Commission attributes the rising HIV cases in the country to the reckless lifestyles of the youth.
According to the Commission, people between the ages of 15 and 24 often engage in high-risk unprotected sex, contributing to the rise in HIV cases in the country.
Talking to you JoyNewsthe Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene, explained that most of these youths become infected because they live recklessly with little concern for their health.
“Young people get infected. Between 2010 and 2016 new infections among young people aged 24 and under increased by 45%.
βThe reason for this is the fact that they do not take responsibility for their own lives. This statement is supported by the findings of the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey report, which clearly shows that young people take many risks that expose them to HIV infections, but do not protect themselves.
βProtection, in this context, includes using condoms during high-risk sexual encounters. Knowledge about HIV prevention is also quite low among young people,β he said.
His comments follow the latest demographic and health survey report by the Ghana AIDS Commission, which reveals that more than 45,000 youths between the ages of 15 and 24 are HIV positive.
In total, over 355,000 Ghanaians are living with the disease, with 100,000 testing positive and unaware of their status.
Women are responsible for almost 240,000 cases, while men are responsible for almost 115,000 infections.
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