Don't discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS -

Accra, July 21, GNA - Mr Atta Kweku Boadi Public Relations Officer of African Commission of Health and Human Rights Promoters (CAPSDH) on Thursday called on society to stop the discrimination and stigmatisation against Persons Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to enable them to make their status known.

He said if PLWHAs were not discriminated against, they would feel free to disclose their status, which would eventually reduce the current prevalence rate of the infection.

Mr Boadi was speaking at a day's workshop organized by CAPSDH, a non-governmental organisation, for students of the FC Beauty Therapy Institute.

It was on the theme "Infringements on the Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS".

The workshop was aimed at developing appropriate mechanism and strategies to help to minimize stigmatisation, discrimination, isolation and abuse of the rights of PLWHA and also to guide policy formulation with respect to protection of their rights.

"We normally think that people, who acquire the disease are immoral, promiscuous and a disgrace to their families and communities," he said

Mr Boadi, therefore, called on the students not to discriminate against PLWHA but rather show love and compassion towards them. Mr Boadi took the students through the causes and effects of the infection and advised them to abstain from sex, be faithful to their partners and use condoms.

He said the female condom was even stronger than the male ones and urged them to learn to bargain for sex with the introduction of the female condom saying: "Because women are at the receiving end, their risk of contracting the virus is very high".