MBUGUA: Give men HIV self-test kits

HIV is one of the triple threats that Kenya envisages reducing by 2030.

It poses a great threat to the socio-economic development of Kenya and testing is a leeway to start a clinical diagnosis of HIV.

Deciding to know your HIV status is a stride in supporting the country to achieve its HIV reduction goal.

For decades, men have continuously been reluctant to go to Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres to know their HIV status alleging that they don’t get time to visit the health care facilities.

Generally, across the globe, men have poor health-seeking behaviour as compared to women.

There have been many interventions instituted to increase the number of men accessing sexual reproductive health services including HIV testing.

One of the well-thought interventions was the introduction of HIV Self-test kits in the Kenya market in 2017.

HIV self-test kits are easily accessible in healthcare facilities, and pharmacies and they are often distributed by commodity-based distributors or Community health volunteers in both formal and informal settlements.

They have instructions on how to use them and they give men the convenience of accessing and using them to know their HIV status.

HIV self-test kits promote privacy and confidentiality and no wonder men prefer them because they can use them in the comfort of their safe spaces.

In Kenya, 1.5 million people are living with HIV, around 400,000 of whom are unaware that they have the virus.

With the HIV prevalence rate of 4.9 per cent in Kenya, a large proportion of men do not know their HIV status.

In 2021, National Aids and STIs Control Programme said there has been an increase in the number of clients who self-tested in the last two years.

The number rose from 20,934 in 2018 to 236,660 in 2020. The main clients of the HIV self-test kits were men.

According to the Ministry of Health, only 45 per cent of Kenyan men know their HIV status.

Kenya pride in being the first country in East Africa to approve access to the use of HIV self-kits.

Currently, Kenya has approved ora Quick, Atomo, INSTI, and Sure Check to complement ordinary HIV testing.

Notably, 39 per cent of all kits were sold to men aged 20-35 years, 28% per cent as opposed to men above 35years.

Increasing the number of men especially in the hard-to-reach areas to know their HIV status, requires well-coordinated distribution and sensitisation on the HIV self-test kits which will help HIV high and medium burden counties to make a remarkable stride in actualising the 95:95:95 HIV impact strategy.

The aim has been to diagnose 95 per cent of HIV-infected men, introduce 95 per cent to antiretroviral therapy and ultimately achieve 95 per cent viral load suppression.

Angaza Youth Initiative team leader

 

Edited by Kiilu Damaris