Don’t trust anybody; take your partner to test for HIV before any relationship – Doctor urges

Dr Mrs Clementine Odei, Head of Unit at the University of Ghana Medical School Clinic

Dr Mrs Clementine Odei, Head of Unit at the University of Ghana Medical School Clinic, has advised people to take personal responsibility for knowing their HIV status rather than relying solely on what their partners tell them.

She encouraged individuals entering new relationships to undergo HIV testing themselves and also discuss testing with their partners before becoming intimate.

“Don’t trust anybody,” Dr Odei said.

She noted that HIV testing is provided free of charge at government hospitals, making it accessible to people who want to establish their status.

“If you walk to any government hospital and you want to check HIV, you don’t pay for anything,” she said during an advocacy programme.

Dr Odei also cautioned against taking a partner’s word for it when they claim to have recently tested negative for HIV.

“And don’t let anybody tell you that I’ve gone to check, so I’m negative. Where are you there?” she said.

She urged people to make HIV testing an important consideration when beginning new relationships and to ensure that their decisions are based on verified knowledge of their health status.