04/10/2022
Lukeman writes...
A total of 23,495 people in Ghana tested positive for HIV in the first half of this year (January to June). These figures are just from those who got tested at the various health centres and have been recorded, others would purchase the test kit and get tested by themselves that would not be recorded.
However, these figures are high and require that education is intensified to draw people's attention to the fact that HIV/AIDS is still in existence. According to the reports, the high prevalence is attributed to complacency and ignorance which means awareness creation on the part of health workers had decreased.
Because over the years education on HIV has decreased, many of our current youth do not know about the infection, how they are contracted and the preventive measures. The few who might have heard of it do not believe it still exists, others are more afraid of COVID-19 than HIV though they are all dangerous.
HIV is not only gotten from unprotected s*xual activities but also mere cuts. When there is a cut from an infected person who happens to share the same sharp instrument with another person, the virus may be transferred through that.
One thing I've observed closely though there hasn't been any data to back my claims yet is those who employ people to cut their nails without ensuring preventive measures such as proper sterilization of instruments. This individual would not sterilize their nail clippers to inactive microorganisms that might have inhabited the surfaces yet will use these same clippers for the next customer.
This is an easy way of sharing the infection, don't be lazy to cut/trim your nails by yourself. It would save you to buy a blade and trim it yourself than to employ someone who will use unsterilized instruments which would expose you to HIV infection.
However, even after one has contracted the infection there has been controlling measures have been deployed to help reduce the viral load. HIV patients should report to the necessary unit for treatment or medication, this will help them reach a non-detectable stage where the virus cannot be transmitted to others.
Interestingly, the prevalence of the disease was higher in men who had s*x with men, with a prevalence rate of 18 percent; in female s*x workers, with a prevalence of 4.6 percent.
Let's come together and fight HIV away.... Ghana Health Service Ministry of Health, Ghana