Don't Discriminate Against People Living With HIV/AIDS

Sunyani, July 10, SpaceFM - The Chief Executive of Beauty In Virginity, an NGO in Sunyani,Mrs Theodora Asubonteng, has called on the society to stop the discrimination and stigmatisation against Persons Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to enable them to make their status known.

She said if PLWHAs are not discriminated against, they would feel free to disclose their status, which would eventually reduce the current prevalence rate of the infection.

Mrs Asubonteng was speaking at a day’s programme organized by the NGO for students and the youth in the Sunyani Municipality.It was on the theme "Infringements on the Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS".

The talk was aimed at developing appropriate mechanism and strategies to help to minimize stigmatisation, discrimination, isolation and abuse of the rights of PLWHA and also to guide policy formulation with respect to protection of their rights.

"We normally think that people, who acquire the disease are immoral, promiscuous and a disgrace to their families and communities," she said stressing that the assertion is wrong and must not be tolerated.

Mrs Asubonteng , therefore, called on students not to discriminate against PLWHA but rather show love and compassion towards them. She took the students through the causes and effects of the infection and advised them to abstain from sex, be faithful to their partners and use condoms.