HIV/AIDS positive urged to avoid spreading the disease

A member of the Gomoa District AIDS Committee, Captain Justice Nkoom of the Salvation Army, has cautioned people living with the disease to avoid spreading it through indiscriminate sex.

Addressing a Peer Educators workshop at Gomoa Mpota on sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS organised by Safe Life Youth Club, a Community Based Organisation (CBO), he said that would prolong their lives since people living with the disease should live healthy lives and maintain their partners.

Mr. Eric Akobeng, District HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Focal Person, told the participants at the workshop sponsored by the Ghana AIDS Commission that they should step up their activities in the communities to help curb the spread of the disease in the area.

He said out of the 3290 HIV/AIDS cases recorded in the Central Region in 2001, the District accounted for 14 per cent or 477 cases while 557 cases were at the Apam Catholic Hospital in 2002.

Mr. Emmanuel Asiedu Acheampong, a resource person, said 80 per cent of infertility in both men and women in Ghana were caused by Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and advised people to ensure that they were treated at recognized health institutions whenever they were infected.

At another function organised at Gomoa Okyereko by the CBO, Master Solomon Gbedzi, a student of the Methodist Junior Secondary School, advised the youth to respect their parents, guardians and elders to encourage them to provide their needs.

Speaking to the GNA, he attributed the refusal of some parents to provide the needs of their children to "disrespect and other defiant behaivour" of the youth.

Some of the participants were of the opinion that the youth especially the girls were forced into social vices because their parents were not providing their basic needs.

Mr. Kweku Dickson, Programme Manager of Safe Life Youth Club, advised them to abstain from sex to avoid the deadly AIDS.

Mr. P A Gyasi, Chairman of the CBO, asked them to take their studies seriously to ensure a bright future and to wait until they were matured enough to marry to chose their partners.