Valentine’s Day which in aforetime was not part of Ghanaian festivities has now become a craze of obsession for most Ghanaians.
In recent times, even children who are known to have superficial knowledge about the secret behind Valentine’s Day even ask for Valentine’s Day presents from others. While others prefer to wear their red and white dresses to show that they are also part of this celebration.
All these and many more show that Valentine’s Day has become one of the most cherished and anticipated days on the Ghanaian Calendar.
But as the popular adage goes; “To be forewarned is to be forearmed”, and as a matter of fact all Ghanaians must be cautious during Valentine’s Day.
Statistics have shown that there is a high correlation between HIV/AIDS infection and Valentine’s Day celebrations.
In retrospection to what Valentine’s Day is all about, love and gift-giving comes out as the principal thing and as such on February 14 most Ghanaians would like to express their love to others by sending them gifts and also renew their commitments.
However, it has utterly become unbelievable to believe that some fellow compatriots indulge in all sort of sensuous depravities and bacchanalian revelries like boozing, deceptive wooing and cooing, fornication and adultery.
Ladies and the youth in general must beware of Valentine’s Day celebrations because most men would like to use the day as a decoy to request for an unplanned affair in the name of St. Valentine (the patron saint of lovers), while having the same intention of abandoning them after they have satisfied their parochial and amorous desires.
The proliferation of radio stations has also contributed to raising Valentine’s Day to a higher pedestal while relegating the issue of HIV/AIDS and its infection rates during the day’s celebration in Ghana to the background.
As Valentine’s Day is about to dawn, all Ghanaians must be aware of the fact that love is not only expressed with sexual intercourse.
The Media must try to use the day to inform the public on HIV/AIDS situation in Ghana, by organizing competitions rather than ‘making unprofitable noise’.
Happy Valentine’s Day celebration.
Remember that HIV/AIDS is real and that it is not a respector of celebrations.
Immoral acts have their own negativities.
