It’s unfortunate that we live in a society where sex has been demonised, and people from some quarters even term it evil. Most Kenyans have a negative perception and wrong cultural attitude towards sex. So much so that to most, talking about it is considered taboo.
You mention sex and some people fidget. This state of affairs has led to an awkward situation whereby some Kenyans find it easier to have sex than talk about it! Many people in relationships and in marriage, especially older and conservative ones, can attest to this; they never talk about it, they just have it!
A newly released report has revealed shocking figures in the fight against HIV. Kenyan men are way below the global condom-use average, the report reveals. On average, the global usage of condoms stands at 40 per man per year, but here in Kenya the usage is only 14 condoms per man per year.
The report further reveals that only 44% of men reported using a condom during their last ‘high-risk’ sex. It’s even lower for women, with 40% of reporting having a condom involved in their last ‘high-risk’ sex.
In 2017, more than 182 million condoms were distributed in the country to help in the reduction of new HIV infections. Nevertheless, the usage is still low.
When it comes to pregnancy and HIV, out of 2 million pregnancies, 57,200 women tested HIV positive. However, only 53,236 (77 per cent) are on antiretroviral medication (PMTC), with the rest putting their unborn children and themselves at risk.
As a result, there was an increase in mother to child transmission. The report further reveals that there was a general decline in annual new HIV infections last year, to 52,800 across all ages. Out of this number, 44,800 are adults aged 15 years and above while 8,000 are children aged from 0 to 14 years.