The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has warned that stigma around HIV is stopping some people from seeking prevention, testing, treatment and support services.
The Director-General of the Commission, Dr. Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, said many people still wrongly associate HIV infection with promiscuity. He said this misconception affects how people living with HIV are treated in society.
During his interview, Dr. Akanbong said these attitudes were unfair and were also making it harder for Ghana to control the spread of HIV.
“It is society’s perception of how HIV is contracted that makes people begin to look at you as promiscuous. It is that kind of societal perception that you must be a bad person to have HIV,” he said.
Dr. Akanbong explained that HIV can be transmitted in different ways, including through sex and through the sharing of needles or other equipment contaminated with infected blood.
He said even when someone contracts HIV through sexual transmission, that should not be used to judge the person’s character.
“Even very good people also have sex,” he said, stressing that having sex does not automatically mean a person is promiscuous.
According to him, the fear of being judged can prevent people from using services that could help protect them from HIV.
He mentioned that some people, especially young people, may feel embarrassed about buying condoms because they are afraid of what others might think or say.
“That is a kind of stigma that makes people stay away, even from the services that are supposed to prevent the disease,” he said.
Dr. Akanbong also warned that stigma could lead people living with HIV to hide their status and delay seeking medical treatment and other support.
He said some people may first seek help from religious leaders because they feel uncomfortable sharing their HIV status with health workers or other people.
He cautioned that waiting too long before getting medical care could have serious effects on a person’s health.
“Before they actually take the step to come to medical treatment, the disease has consumed much of their strength and effort,” he said.
Dr. Akanbong called for a change in the way society views HIV. He said people living with the virus should not be rejected or treated differently because of their status.
He explained that reducing stigma and discrimination would help protect the dignity of people living with HIV. It could also encourage more people to seek testing, prevention and treatment services.
The Ghana AIDS Commission has repeatedly identified stigma and discrimination as major challenges in Ghana’s fight against HIV.
The Commission says misconceptions about the virus continue to discourage some people from seeking the services they need.
