A new report from the University of Ghana School of Public Health, the National AIDS Commission, and the Noguchi Institute for Medical Research, presented to the Ghana Health Service, has revealed that about 6 in 10 (56.6%) of transgender women in Ghana have engaged in transactional sex.
This translates to approximately 1,667 out of the 2,946 transgender women (TGW) in Ghana who have received money or goods in exchange for sex at least once.
"More than half (56.6%) of the TGW participants had ever received goods or money for sex."
Alarmingly, the report also indicates that 193 transgender women (11% of those involved in transactional sex) never used a condom with their paying partners. Furthermore, 56.7% of these women reported only occasional condom use.
This is particularly concerning given the high prevalence of HIV among transgender individuals in Ghana, where more than 4 in 10 (48.2%) are living with the virus. The intersection of transactional sex and inconsistent condom use heightens the risk of HIV transmission, exacerbating an already critical public health issue.
The report calls for intensified HIV testing efforts to identify undiagnosed individuals and connect them with necessary treatment. It advocates for the expansion of testing services to include innovative approaches such as self-testing.
Additionally, the report highlights the urgent need for targeted educational campaigns to dispel persistent myths and misconceptions about HIV, which continue to hinder effective prevention and treatment efforts.
Latest Stories
-
My issue with Team Eternity over ‘Defe Defe’ solved – Kwame Mickey
4 mins -
Finance Minister to appear before Parliament on National Cathedral project expenditure tomorrow
10 mins -
Ghana Plastic Manufacturers’ Association to demonstrate on July 10
13 mins -
Government sets minimum Mango price at GH¢4 per kilogram
30 mins -
Election 2024: You’re the bastion of our country’s hope; remain neutral – Defence Minister to military
44 mins -
Closed season begins: Fisheries Minister warns fishers against illegal practices
47 mins -
Bawumia selected Opoku Prempeh as running mate based on his own experience – Nana B
1 hour -
How a Gaza ‘stunt’ divided Australia’s parliament
2 hours -
Hurricane makes landfall as Caribbean braces for days ahead
2 hours -
USAID commissions ICT Centre and donates teaching and learning materials to schools in the North
2 hours -
Almost 1.8m people owe £50,000 or more in student debt
2 hours -
Trump pushes for felony conviction to be set aside
2 hours -
The UK taxi driver still being paid as a Nigerian civil servant
2 hours -
South Africa’s new coalition government unveiled
3 hours -
Video: Burna Boy sells out 80,000-capacity London Stadium for second time
3 hours