The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, and Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has criticised the Ghana AIDS Commission over the alleged distribution of lubricants to men who have sex with men.
Speaking during deliberations on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, on Friday, April 23, Mr. George argued that such resources should instead be directed toward strengthening maternal healthcare. As lead sponsor of the bill, he questioned the Commission’s approach, suggesting it runs counter to its mandate to combat HIV.
“We have evidence of Ghana AIDS Commission officers meeting with pro-LGBTQ groups and giving them lubricants. If the Commission is supposed to fight HIV, why are you giving lubricants to men to have anal sex with men?” he asked. He further rejected the justification that the materials were intended to reduce HIV transmission among affected persons, insisting that such reasoning was unacceptable.
“And the excuse given is that these are people who already have HIV, and so they don’t want them to spread it. So they are giving them lubricants. That in itself is an activity that continues to perpetuate anal sex between men,” he stated. Sam George further insisted that public health funding should be channelled into other critical areas, particularly maternal healthcare.
“If they really want to fund public health, they should go and give maternal beds for women who do not have beds for delivery. This one, we won’t open the door,” he added.
Source: Nii Ayikwei Okine
