As Ghanaians prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Friday, February 14, 2025, the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) is calling for responsibility and caution in the spirit of love.
In a press statement dated February 13, 2025, GHANET emphasized the need for the youth to balance love and intimacy with self-awareness and responsibility. The organization expressed concern over the rising HIV infection rates in the country, noting that as of December 2023, an estimated 334,000 people were living with HIV in Ghana. Even more alarming, between January and September 2024, about 35,460 new cases were recorded.
While the national HIV prevalence rate stands at 1.53%, GHANET warns that the increasing number of infections remains a major public health concern. As part of its awareness campaign, the organization is advising young people to take proactive steps in preventing the spread of HIV, including:
- Avoiding risky sexual behaviors, such as unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, sex parties, and substance abuse, which heighten vulnerability to infection.
- Practicing safe sex, by consistently and correctly using condoms, which are available at pharmacies, health facilities, and community-based outlets.
- Abstaining from sex when conditions are not ideal, as abstinence remains the safest form of HIV prevention.
GHANET is also encouraging all Ghanaians to test and know their HIV status. For those concerned about privacy, HIV self-testing kits are available as a discreet option.
With this year’s theme, “Spread Love: Not the Virus,” GHANET urges the public to celebrate Valentine’s Day with health-conscious decisions that protect both themselves and their loved ones.
For more information, visit www.ghanet.net or contact GHANET at 0332092649/0260221462/0505113302.
Let this Valentine’s Day be a celebration of love, responsibility, and good health.
Below is the press statement:
