Men are the main users of HIV self-testing kits, an analysis by the Ministry of Health shows.
The kits allow individuals to test themselves privately by swabbing their mouth for saliva or using a blood sample.
However, they need to get a confirmatory test in hospital if the self-test turns positive.
Head of HIV testing services at the National Aids and STIs Control Programme, Dr Jonah Onentiah on Thursday said 65 per cent of all kits last year were sold to men aged 20 years and above.
“We have seen an increased number of clients who have self-tested in the past one year from 20,934 in 2018 to 283,660 in 2020,” he said.
Onentiah said self-testing has now become an important strategy to address HIV diagnosis gaps.
“Through it, we can see increased uptake among populations currently not reached by existing channels and populations with high ongoing risk of HIV infection,” he said at a media forum.
Men have notoriously avoided the ordinary HIV tests in hospitals, and currently, only 45 per cent of them know their HIV status, the Ministry of Health says.
The self-test kits are only available to individuals aged above 18 years.
Last year, 39 per cent of all the kits were sold to men aged between 20 and 35 years while men above 35 years took 28 per cent of all kits.
Women aged between 20 and 34 years bought 18 per cent of all kits while those above 35 took only 11 per cent.
Onentiah however, said the test does not provide a definitive HIV-positive diagnosis.
“All reactive (positive) self-test results need to be confirmed by a trained health provider using the national testing algorithm,” he said.
Self-testing ambassador Peter Mogere said Kenya was among the first to approve the use of self-test kits and PrEP in East Africa.
“As a result, new infections have fallen dramatically in recent years,” Mogere said. He is also the project coordinator at Partners in Health Research and Development, a HIV clinical research site.
He said the uptake is still lower than it should because of the cost. A single test kit costs about Sh150 during offers but normally goes for Sh500 in private pharmacies.
“There is also inconsistency in supply and those aged between 15 and 17 years cannot access the kits yet,” he said.
As at September 2021, Kenya had approved four kits: Ora Quick, INSTI, Sure Check and Atomo.
Nascop says the kits are complementary to the usual HIV testing but will help access hard-to-reach populations.
For instance, while nearly 72 per cent of Kenyan women have tested for HIV in the past 12 months and received their results, only 45 per cent of men have done so.
Several institutions are already innovating to reach more men with HIV testing services.
The Nairobi Metropolitan Services is now reaching out to men at their workplaces with HIV self-testing kits to boost uptake of the service.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics census report 2019 shows Nairobi is one of the high burden counties for HIV.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
