Twenty to 39 years is the age you find your passion.
According to the Ministry of Health, it is also the age when most men living with HIV contracted the virus.
The latest statistics show nearly eight out of every 10 men who contracted HIV last year were aged between 20 and 39.
“Among adult men and boys, those aged 20-39 contributed to 76 per cent (6,700) of the 8,874 new HIV infections that occurred among those aged 15 and above,” the latest statistics by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council indicate.
Although women and girls formed the majority (66 per cent) of the 34,540 Kenyans who contracted HIV last year, infections among men are also rising.
This is partly because most interventions have primarily focused on the needs of women due to their biological and social vulnerability to HIV infection.
However, research shows that a successful HIV response requires a shift from portraying men just as “spreaders of HIV” to acknowledging that, like women, men are vulnerable to HIV infection due to individual, social and structural drivers.
The NSDCC data also indicates men aged 20-39 have the poorest adherence to HIV medication and had the highest share of Aids-related deaths last year.
“The lower treatment coverage for men and boys is evident by the number of Aids-related deaths as compared to women and girls of the same age,” the NSDCC report explains.
“In 2021, an estimated 8,270 men aged 30 and above died of Aids-related deaths as compared to 6,902 women of the same age group.”
The data was released on World Aids Day in December.
Since the first HIV case was officially recorded in 1984, more than two million Kenyans have been killed by Aids-related illnesses.
NSDCC boss Dr Ruth Laibon-Masha says Kenya has made significant progress towards reducing Aids deaths through a large-scale treatment programme.
In the last decade, the estimated Aids-related deaths reduced by 57.7 per cent from 52,964 in 2010 to 19,486 in 2020.
However, between 2000 and 2021, the number of Aids-related deaths increased by 15 per cent from about 19,486 to 22,373.
One of the main prevention strategies targeting men and women in Kenya is condom use.
Condoms are 90 to 95 per cent effective in preventing HIV when used consistently.
Last month, the Ministry of Health released more than 50 million male condoms across the country amid concerns about shortage.
Civil society had early December expressed concern over a looming condom shortage ahead of the Christmas season.
Dr Samuel Kinyanjui, country director of the HIV prevention lobby Aids Healthcare Foundation, last month said there is a high risk of rolling back gains that Kenya has made if the condom shortage is not addressed.
“Statistically, with enough condoms, the country will be saved from treating more than 800,000 newly infected persons in the next 10 years and up to 5.3 million unplanned pregnancies, 60 per cent of which are teenage, will be averted,” he said.
On Wednesday this week, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha said the 50 million condoms released last month had not been exhausted and the country still has 38 million pieces remaining.
As of this morning, we have 38 million pieces of condoms. In relation to the population of Kenyans, you can see we are overstocked depending on how many are used at a go. We have sufficient quantities
"I would like to clarify to Kenyans that we do not have a shortage of condoms in the country," she said.
Last month, civil society had said the 50 million condoms would not last until January 2023.
“If they were released yesterday or today, what are we saying in terms of between January and now and if we are serious we are fighting HIV and teenage pregnancies why did it take that long to release the condoms?” Nelson Otwoma said on December 1.
Otuoma is the executive director of the National Empowerment Network of People living with HIV-Aids in Kenya.
“Today we are talking before we see what was released but we just want to give the benefit of the doubt that they were released. What is the plan after these 50 million are over because they cannot last a year, they can last around six to seven months,” he added.
However, Nakhumicha this week said Kenyans made only a small dent in that supply.
"As of this morning, we have 38 million pieces of condoms. In relation to the population of Kenyans, you can see we are overstocked depending on how many are used at a go. We have sufficient quantities," she said.
The CS said condoms are available but the challenge is how to get them to Kenyans.
"We have the challenge because of the process that a health facility and dispensary have to request for condoms by consolidating their orders to the county and then we get one order from the county which is sent to Kemsa," Nakhumicha said.
She said there is a lapse in terms of managing the process of condom requests.
Nakhumicha also said the government has inspected the quality of condoms.
The 38 million pieces have been confirmed to be of good quality and ready for use, she said.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
