The Ghana AIDS Commission has dismissed concerns that its plan to install condom vending machines across the country will encourage promiscuity or negatively influence the morals of young people.
The Commission says the initiative, which is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026, is meant to improve access to condoms and help reduce the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Speaking in an interview on Monday, July 27, the Commission’s Director of Technical Services, Dr. Fred Nana Poku, said research from other African countries shows that easier access to condoms does not lead to increased sexual activity among young people.
“Studies that have been conducted in East Africa have proven otherwise. You’ll realise that making condoms available didn’t increase the sexual activity of students. It rather protected them from contracting several STIs and HIV.”
Dr. Poku explained that the availability of condoms is not what influences young people to become sexually active.
“Is it because the condom is available that you want to have sex or because you want to have sex? We don’t believe that making condoms available will change their morality.”
He said Ghana cannot ignore the reality that many teenagers are already sexually active. To support his point, he revealed that 1,183 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19, as well as 3,835 young people aged 15 to 24, were newly infected with HIV in 2025.
“Children are having sex as young as eight years. We don’t need to play the ostrich. Rather, we should see how we can protect those who are having sex. That’s public health.”
Dr. Poku added that about 80% of HIV infections are spread through sexual contact, making prevention efforts especially important.
He also called on businesses and corporate organisations in Ghana to support the initiative, noting that many countries already provide condoms in workplaces as part of their employee health programmes.
“Together we can win the fight against HIV in Ghana so that it won’t be a public health concern anymore.”
