Genital Herpes in Ghana - Ghana Medicals

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The grim statistics of the spread of genital herpes is disturbing. More and more young men and women are finding themselves in dangerous exposures of the disease. It is good that some organizations are taking the lead in creating awareness for better sexual interactions. As in most societies, the youth and women from underserved communities are the most vulnerable. In addition to that, there is a need to improve the educational awareness of the communities.

In doing so, you create an avenue that most people will participate in and formulate their coping strategies. Due to the gap that exists between the leaders and the people in society, meaningful interaction does not exist. Equally, the prevalence of genital herpes continues to ravage the young and old.

Prevalence Statistics of Genital Herpes among Ghanaians

Again like in other studies, it is the women who discover their status on genital herpes. This happens when they undergo cervical screening. Since most of them come from poor backgrounds, they find out about herpes when they are over the latent stage. Poverty and ignorance are the two main reasons for the late diagnosis.

In combating the spread of HIV, the Ghanaian authorities need to put genital herpes into consideration. In the populations where HIV is high, most of the people are testing positive with herpes. This means there is a high rate of sexual activities across the spectrum. More stakeholders are now reaching out to the government to help in formulating a lasting solution to these endemic numbers.

Rural women are the pillars of the Ghanaian cultural setup. Unfortunately, they are the ones who are susceptible to the genital herpes menace. Poverty, coercion, and lack of proper screening all contribute to the spread of the virus. The first thing to do is helping these poor girls and mothers gain meaningful employment. That will stop the coercion and sexual exploitation for money.

Since genital herpes and HIV go hand in hand in this setup, there should be a multifaceted effort to manage both at once. In research showing the awareness and knowledge of young people on sexuality, the findings condemn both community and government agencies. Shockingly, girls below the age of 16 are engaging in sexual activities with more than one partner. Social workers need to step in and raise proper awareness of sexually transmitted diseases.

Mitigation

Reports after the other are urging the government to formulate and implement the measures today. The infections are in their endemic stages. Being cautious will not realize any meaningful results as of now.

The lack of appetite for policy formulation and poor accountability on the part of government agencies is contributing to the spread of the herpes virus. The civic society is doing the best it can, but the ultimate solution lies with the people.