HIV/AIDS Policy in Nigeria and Ghana: How Socio-Cultural Norms Affect Outcomes for Vulnerable Populations and Adolescents

The adverse effects of HIV persist. Since its emergence, states have adopted national policies and strategies to prevent the spread of the virus and curb its negative impacts. This research investigates how dominant cultural practices in Ghana and Nigeria influence national policies and intervention strategies to prejudice certain groups. Merging the Critical Discourse Analysis and Ideology Theoretical Framework, the study finds that many of the policies are biased against sexual minorities and adolescents in both countries. The research connects this bias to the cultural expectations in the selected countries. The study also found that other factors such as the knowledge of the prevalence of the virus among a group and the increased collaboration among international and national actors influence the discourse of the policies. Finally, exploring the selected policies with Intersectional Theory, the investigation revealed that all the policies neglected people who belong to more than one target groups.