The Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene, has stated that transactional sex of all kinds, which has become pervasive in Ghanaian society is one of the major sources of HIV infection.

He noted that in Ghana today, the youth are engaging in more physical activities and exchanging sex for favours leading to increased HIV infections and transmission.

In an interview with Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, June 24, he explained that young people and some adults have adopted attitudes and behaviours that put many people at risk.

“I will say that socialisation starts from the home and it appears that we are getting it wrong because of the values of our young people, you wonder where they come from and several things are happening.

“We have quite several young women and young men going into prostitution or sex work and the way they have presented it comes with some glamour and it comes with some prestige.”

Dr Atuahene stressed that sex workers have a much higher HIV prevalence than the general population. Consequently, individuals who engage with sex workers without protection are at a higher risk of infection.

“Those who use the services of sex workers are often in relationships; they may be married and have multiple partners. If any of the 50 new infections occur in such individuals, their spouses and other partners are at risk, perpetuating the chain of transmission.”

He pointed out that sex workers are particularly vulnerable to HIV due to the nature of their work.

"They may agree to have unprotected sex for higher fees, or they may be coerced into it. Additionally, they sometimes face violence for insisting on condom use" he pointed out.

“We must also acknowledge that casual sex, which carries a higher risk, contributes to new infections more than any other factor. This, combined with the rise in multiple sexual partnerships and the decline in condom use during high-risk sex, reflects the reality we are observing.”

Dr Atuahene clarified that not all sex workers are accessible for interventions that provide safe precautions and medication to prevent HIV infection.

Some operate discreetly, making them difficult to reach, he noted.

Ghana recorded 17,774 new HIV infections in 2023

Data from the 2023 national and sub-national HIV and AIDS estimates and projections showed 17, 774 people- 6,457 males and 11, 317 females- became newly infected with HIV in that year.

The number comprises 4,869 youth between 15 and 24, 1,698 children under 15, 1,520 adolescents between 10 and 19, and 16,076 adults above 15.

Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission who disclosed this in Accra, said that the projection showed a 14.8 per cent decrease in new infections between 2013 and 2023

“The data indicates that Ghana has not been able to achieve its annual target of a 17 per cent reduction in new HIV infections in the last ten year,” he said.

Dr Atuahene said Ghana was expected to achieve a 41 per cent increase in the decrease of new HIV infections between 2023 and 2030.

According to the projections, 334,095 people in Ghana—115,891 males and 218,204 females—were living with HIV in 2023.

Last year, there were 17,550 children under 14, 16,381 adolescents between 10 and 19, 33,245 young adults between 15 and 24, and 316,545 adults aged 15 and up who were living with HIV.

The data showed that the HIV population increased by nine per cent between 2013 and 2023 and was expected to increase by 6.8 per cent by 2030.