A woman living with HIV/AIDS has disclosed engaging in unprotected sex with multiple partners despite being aware of her positive status.

Her reasoning for this risky behavior is linked to the profound grief she experienced after losing her husband and five children to the same disease.

Despite admitting to feeling guilty about her actions, she explains that engaging in unprotected sex is her only means of making a living and could not deal with the stigma and rejection that comes with opening up about her status to people.

The woman remains silent about her HIV/AIDS status due to the fear that her neighbors might gossip about her, potentially jeopardizing her source of income.

“I’m scared that if I disclose my status to the men, they will sack me or quit the relationship with me. And if that happens, they will spread the news in the neighbourhood,” she is quoted as saying in a report by Joy News.

On the other hand, Dr. Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, has characterized her behavior as both perilous and unlawful. He clarified that individuals knowingly transmitting HIV can face legal consequences under Ghanaian law.

“Some people who live with HIV and sleeping around with men or women is something that keeps coming to our attention and it’s not the best. They have the potential of spreading the virus knowingly and that is unacceptable.”

“I would like to encourage all Ghanaians who know that they have lived with HIV and continue to have unprotected sex with other people to stop because it is wrong to do that and if anyone can prove beyond reasonable doubt that he is infected as a result of his or her relationship with that person, the law would deal with such a person.”

In addition to stressing the value of HIV prevention and treatment, Dr. Atuahene advised anyone living with the virus to take protective measures for both themselves and other people.

“The most important thing is that they should be on treatment and be virally suppressed and maintain their viral suppression and stop sleeping around,” he added.

The most recent health demographic survey conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicates that Ghana is labeled as one of the countries facing a rapid increase in HIV infections.

Out of the total 16,574 new HIV infections documented in Ghana during the 2022 national and sub-national HIV/AIDS estimates and projections, females accounted for 10,927 cases, while males contributed 5,647 cases.

Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, stated that the country falls into this category due to a significant rise in new infections. He explained that the primary contributors to the virus's spread are individuals involved in same-sex marriages, an activity deemed illegal in Ghana, hindering affected individuals from seeking treatment.