Church leaders urged to encourage condom use

Ndasimam (C/R) July 30, GNA - The Mfantseman District HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Miss Christine Antor, has called on church leaders not to regard the use of condom as a sin but rather encourage their members to use it to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.

Miss Antor said since the church leaders could not be sure that their members would take their preaching to either abstain from premarital sex or be faithful to their husbands and wives it would be worthwhile to encourage them to use condom to save them from contracting the disease.

She was addressing an HIV/AIDS durbar at Ndasimam, near Anomabo, organized by Nkubem Awareness Group, a community based organization with funds from the Ghana AIDS commission.

Miss Anto, a Principal Community Health Nursing Officer, advised HIV/AIDS peer educators to lead lives worthy of emulation. "If those of you who are educating the people indulge in sexual promiscuity, the people would not accept your messages," she advised them.

She advised persons who go for voluntary AIDS tests not to regard the result of the first test as final, adding "at least it should be conducted three times before ones HIV status can be known, as it takes about six weeks before the virus can be detected." She advised parents to be friendly with their children at home to enable them feel free to discuss their problems with them. They should also educate their children on the reproductive system and sexually transmitted diseases.