An Assessment of Factors Influencing Vulnerability and Prevention of HIV/AIDS in Ghana

The AIDS epidemic has become one of the most serious health and development challenge in the world today. This paper assessed factors such as socio-cultural factors, having sex with multiple and concurrent partners and the consistency of condom use among others which are influencing vulnerability and prevention of HIV/AIDS in Agomanya, Koforidua, Tamale and Wa. A sample of 284 study participants comprising 98 PLWHA, 40 FSWs, 98 HIV caregivers were recruited using mixed sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaires and structured interviews. Content analysis, comparative analysis and direct quotations were employed as main tools to analyze the qualitative data whereas frequencies, percentage distributions, tables and cross tabulations were used to analyze quantitative data and present findings. Test of significance was also done using the chi-square test. Results of the study revealed that polygynous culture, low income and wife inheritance were some of the socio-cultural factors fueling the transmission of HIV/AIDS in the study communities. Findings from the study further showed that 29.9% of males living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), reported having sexual intercourse with multiple partners in the last twelve months in all the study communities. Condom use among male caregivers and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) with multiple partners in the last twelve months was 45.3% and 23.8% respectively. Although cross tabulation result shows that there was a 100% relationship between the number of male and female PLWHA who reported having more than one partner in the last twelve months and condom use, and the chi-square test also indicated (.000 at 0.05 significance level). However, the study result also indicated that 67.6% of female sex workers (FSWs) reported not using condom consistently with non-paying partners in all the study communities. The study therefore, concludes that poverty reduction strategies and women empowerment programmes should be integrated into mainstream HIV/AIDS prevention interventions in the study communities. The study also recommends workshops for PLWHA, caregivers and Female Sex Workers (FSWs) on the dangers of unprotected sex in all the study communities.