The Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission has partly attributed the rise in new HIV infections to individuals' reluctance to disclose their HIV status to their spouses, fearing desertion.
Dr Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene explained that the refusal of some HIV-positive individuals to continue their medication was a significant factor in the spike.
According to the Ghana AIDS Commission, over 334 people live with HIV in Ghana. In 2023 the country also reported 17,774 new cases, with 11,317 women and 6,457 men affected.
Dr Atuahene said "The fear of the husband or wife deserting them leads some not to disclose their status. Some are afraid their spouse may discover they are taking daily medication, leading them to hide or discontinue their medicines."
“When a female has sex with a man, penile sex and the man ejaculates, the sperm which might contain HIV particles may remain in her for quite some time, whereas that of the male you hardly can see that.
"Secondly, the surface area of the vagina is much wider than that of the male and thirdly the mucus membrane of the vagina is much more fragile than of the male,” he added.
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