The colour of an anti-HIV drug is hindering persons from using it as it is associated with sexual stimulants.
Christine Ogolla, programme director and technical lead-prevention unit at the Elizabeth Glasier Paediatric Aids Foundation, said people mistake pre-exposure prophylaxis with Viagra and medication for schizophrenia.
"This is what we have heard from our clients. People mistake those on PrEP to be taking Viagra and some even think that those on it are suffering from schizophreniia because the colour of these drugs are also blue," Ogolla said on Tuesday.
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She spoke during a science cafe organised by the Media for Environment Science, Health, Agriculture and Technology.
PrEP, a combination of two HIV drugs, can prevent HIV negative people from contracting the virus by more than 96 per cent. It is given to those at high risk of contracting the virus.
The drug is supposed to be taken before exposure to risk of infection. To build adequate protection, people will need to take one pill daily for seven days.
Apart from the colour of the pill, the packaging of the drug and stigmatization from health workers have also been cited as some of the challenges.
Speaking to The Star on the sidelines of the event, Ogolla noted that persons on PrEP want the color of the drug changed to avoid facing further stigmatization and misconception about the drug.
"We have had several meeting with the manufacturers or the drug and we are also continuing to sensitise health workers and the public about PrEP so as to reduce the misleading information about the prevention drug."
Estimates from the National STI and Control Program (Nascop) shows that 9,800 persons at risk of getting HIV have been put on prep since May this year until now.
Nascop's Maureen Kimani said that they will release comprehensive figures in February next year.
"Those are just the estimates that we have. But the survey that we will have next year will be able to tell us the impact of prep, how it has been used, and at what period do people at risk stop using and may be why they stopped using it," she said,
Other than that, the survey which will be known as the Kenya population based survey will be able to give the HIV prevalence in each county. This will help county governments plan better how to reduce new infections in their counties as well as influence programming." Kimani added.
Data from the National Aids Control Council shows that there are 1.5 million people living with HIV in the country.
Even though the rate of new HIV infections has gone down from 100,000 to 77,000 annually, much more needs to be done to reduce new incidences especially among adolescents and young people who account for half of the new HIV infections.
