Before the Valentine’s Day celebrations, the Ghana AIDS Commission‘s Eastern Regional Office said it will revive condom distribution to non-traditional condom sale locations.

The commission’s action is intended to assure condom availability.

Moreover, it is also to ensure the accessibility of condoms. Thus, for those who may choose to have sexual intercourse on valentine’s day.

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This is, in order to lower the risk of HIV infections.

The commission stated: “One of our condom distribution strategies is to make sure that condoms are made available.”

“One of the key strategies we have been using over the years under our NSP 2016 to 2020 was that we used nontraditional condom sales outlets to get condoms,” the Commission emphasized.

Going forward, the Acting Eastern Regional Technical Coordinator, Ebenezer Appiah Agyekum Abrokwah, said “Valentine’s Day is known for merrymaking and expression of love. Furthermore, this is mostly associated with increased sexual activities.”

“Hence, the commission will also deepen HIV sensitization,” he insinuated.

He emphasized that: “Currently, the Eastern region has a prevalence of 2.2. This implies that if you take a thousand people aged 15 to 49, you will get about 22 of them to have HIV .”

“What that means is that HIV is still an issue in the Eastern region. And we are still working hard with all the key stakeholders, the Ghana health service, NGO’s and all the government agencies.”

He continued that: “This is to just make sure that people become aware that HIV is still an issue so that people are able to take care of themselves. Protect themselves, get tested and if they are testing positive then they are being enrolled on antiretroviral therapy”.

Mr. Agyekum’s Statement

Moreover, Mr. Agyekum Abrokwa stated that the condom distribution and awareness campaign will take place in all of the region’s 33 districts and municipalities.

When we talk about the Eastern region, in all the 33 districts, they all have their own HIV prevalence according to the data.

And so one of the key things for valentine’s day is that we have an HIV sensitization exercise.

We will be educating individuals. For instance, last year we visited all the hotspots, pups, and bars and we gave them condoms.

The idea is for people to have access to condoms. This is so that they can protect themselves if they decide to have sex.

We will also be focusing on the youth, making sure that senior high school students are also getting some education. This will be via media and any other platforms available.

Hence, basically, the main aim is to create awareness. And also, to encourage people to know their status, and encourage people to protect themselves.

And if they do all these then it means that we are breaking the chain of transmission of HIV.