A woman living with HIV/AIDS has admitted to having unprotected sex with several men despite being aware of her status.
According to her, it was her way of expressing her grief after losing her husband and five children to the disease.
And although she claims feeling guilty, she says she does not speak about her status because prostitution is her only means of livelihood.
She is afraid her neighbours might spread the news of her status to others, which would in turn deprive her of her daily bread. She is also afraid of being stigmatised or rejected by others.
“I’m scared that if I disclose my status to the men, they will sack me or quit the relationship with me. And if that happens, they will spread the news in the neighbourhood,” she is quoted as saying in a report by Joy News.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene has described her action as dangerous and illegal.
He explained that, anyone who deliberately spreads HIV, while aware of their status, can be prosecuted under Ghanaian law.
“Some people who live with HIV and sleeping around with men or women is something that keeps coming to our attention and it’s not the best. They have the potential of spreading the virus knowingly and that is unacceptable.”
“I would like to encourage all Ghanaians who know that they have lived with HIV and continue to have unprotected sex with other people to stop because it is wrong to do that and if anyone can prove beyond reasonable doubt that he is infected as a result of his or her relationship with that person, the law would deal with such a person.”
Dr Atuahene emphasised the importance of HIV prevention and treatment and urged anyone living with HIV to take precautions to protect themselves and others.
“The most important thing is that they should be on treatment and be virally suppressed and maintain their viral suppression and stop sleeping around,” he added.
The latest demographic survey on health by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reveals that the country is classified as one of the HIV fast-track infection countries.
Out of the total of 16,574 new HIV infections recorded in Ghana in the 2022 national and sub-national HIV/AIDS estimates and projections, females accounted for 10,927 of the cases while males accounted for 5,647.
Director General of the Ghana Aids Commission, Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene said the country falls under this category because of a sharp increase in new infections.
He explained that, those leading the spread of the virus are individuals engaging in same-sex marriage, actions which are illegal in Ghana and thus preventing patients from seeking treatment.
