Gambles on Raw Sex as HIV Alarm Bells Ring Loud
By Prince Ahenkorah
A recent World Health Organization (WHO) report has sounded alarm bells across continents: condom use among adolescents is declining sharply, exposing a generation to heightened risks of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancies.
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, surveying over 242,000 fifteen-year-olds from 42 countries between 2014 and 2022, reveals a disturbing trend.
Condom use at last intercourse among boys fell from 70% to 61%, while among girls it dropped from 63% to 57%. Even more troubling: nearly a third of teens admitted to using neither condoms nor contraceptive pills during their last sexual encounter.
Socioeconomic fault lines are stark. Adolescents from low-income families are disproportionately engaging in unprotected sex 33% compared to 25% among wealthier peers a gap signaling inadequate sexual health education and unequal access to contraception.
In Ghana, where HIV/AIDS remains a national emergency, new government initiatives aim to stem the tide. The Ghana AIDS Commission plans to introduce HIV preventive drugs by 2026, initially importing before shifting towards local production with pharmaceutical and international support.
Dr. Prosper Akanbong, Director-General, foresees local production of HIV vaccines by 2027, a bold step amid pessimistic statistics.
The year 2024 recorded over 15,200 new HIV infections and 12,600 AIDS-related deaths in Ghana. Women bear the disproportionate burden, accounting for nearly 67% of new cases. Regional imbalances persist, with Greater Accra grappling with the highest absolute burden and Bono recording the highest adult prevalence rate.
Treatment gaps remain gaping: only 68% of people living with HIV know their status, 69% of those diagnosed are on treatment, and less than half (47%) are receiving life-saving therapies.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, during World AIDS Day 2025, called for intensified stigma reduction and broad testing drives crucial steps if the epidemic is to be controlled.
At the highest level, President John Mahama has urged the Ministry of Finance to prioritize HIV funding and unveiled a revised National Workplace HIV Policy plus a Sustainability Roadmap aiming to scale prevention, mobilize domestic resources, and shore up long-term resilience.
WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, encapsulated the challenge: empowering youth through comprehensive sexuality education and youth-friendly health services is non-negotiable in safeguarding their futures.
As World AIDS Day marks over three decades of battle, this new era beckons renewed focus on the youngest generation Generation Z whose risky behaviors today may define the epidemic’s trajectory tomorrow.
The question remains: can Ghana and the wider international community marshal resources and willpower swiftly enough to halt this ticking time bomb?