Legalised prostitution urged to combat AIDS

GHANA: Legalised prostitution urged to combat AIDS

JOHANNESBURG, 18 Mar 2005 (PLUSNEWS) - The Ghana AIDS Commission has called for the legalisation of prostitution as a means of tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Professor Sekyi Awuku Amoa, the commission's director-general, said the change in current laws would not only do well to promote safer sex practices, but would also help to encourage regular HIV voluntary counselling and testing in the industry.

The Ghana News Agency quoted Amoa as saying: "As long as prostitutes have clients ... we have to target them and give them health service. It is an age old profession and, since it is an avenue for employment, [sex workers] will never depart from it."

The West African country's relatively low HIV prevalence rate of 3.4 percent has not declined, despite costly publicity and control measures.

[ENDS]

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