According to recent figures from the 2022 Ghana demographic and health survey on HIV, there is a high vulnerability of people to HIV and sexually transmitted diseases as condom users have declined woefully amongst the youth of Ghana.
The report further revealed that seven out of 10 men between the ages of 15 and 49 do not use condoms during sexual intercourse. While seven million men in the same age bracket had sex with other women who were not their wives in the last 12 months.
The trend is usually expected to increase on Valentine’s Day as lovers get intimate during such occasions.
Meanwhile, sexually active persons can secure themselves a condom free of charge from any pharmacy since it is a sex awareness campaign week. But with the old-age stigma associated with buying condoms, one wonders how many young people would be courageous enough to visit the pharmacy for a free condom.
The 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey was implemented by the Ghana Statistical Services (GSS).
According to the report, 80% of females between the ages of 15 and 24 engage in sexual activity without the use of condoms.
This is true even though, according to the report, 79% of young women are aware that using condoms regularly can lower one’s risk of contracting HIV.
According to data from the Ghana AIDS Commission as of 2022, two-thirds of newly diagnosed HIV cases in Ghana are among females.
According to the 2022 national and sub-national HIV/AIDS estimates and forecasts, there were 16,574 new HIV infections reported in Ghana; 10,927 of those cases were in females and 5,647 were in males.
Married women in cities appear to prefer the ‘pullout’ method of contraception over that of rural women.
Higher learning and romantic partners
The study also discovered that, for men, obtaining a higher degree may be the key to increasing one’s sexual appeal.
According to the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey report from the Ghana Statistical Service for 2022, men are more likely to have multiple sexual partners as they advance in their academic careers.
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- Parents must introduce their sexually active adolescents to family planning methods – Medical doctor
- Addressing key health concerns in Ghana: Focus on HIV testing, safe practices, and stigma
For example, among men without formal education, 14.5% reported having more than two partners, and 18.6% reported having sex with someone who wasn’t their spouse or flatmate.
In addition, 14.9% of men who had stopped their basic schooling had more than two partners, and 29.9% of them had slept with someone who wasn’t their spouse.
The percentage rises slightly among men with only a secondary school diploma: 15.1% of them had more than two partners, and 36.1% had sex with someone who wasn’t their spouse or flatmate.
To this end, having good sexual health requires making safer decisions about your sexual preferences, and one safer decision is condom use. It protects you from sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) like HIV.
As many mark Valentine’s Day today, Wednesday, February 14, if you would get intimate with your partner, remember to use a condom.
By Emmanuel Kwarteng
