By Isaiah Esipisu
- 44 percent of new HIV infections are occurring among cohabiting or married couples
- 67 percent of women acquiring new infections are below the age of 35
- 50 percent of HIV infected people have partners who do not know their status
- Globally, 42 percent of new HIV infections occur among the youth
It is natural for every parent to panic if their child is born without sexual organs. This means that we all aspire to be sexually active adults, and we wish the same for our siblings. This was one of the messages put across by experts during the 2012 Aids conference that ended on July 27, in Washington DC.
But with the HIV virus in sight, nobody can guarantee that our young children will grow up safely, marry and get children without encountering the AIDS causing virus. It means that
nobody is safe, whether you are rich or you are poor.
nobody is safe, whether you are rich or you are poor.
This is the reason why governments and the society at large must step up the fight against the mainly sexually transmitted disease, and deal with the catastrophe before it cripples the very next generation.
Globally, it is estimated that 42 percent of new HIV infections occur among the youth. Yet in Kenya according to the prevailing statistics, 67 percent of women acquiring new infections are below the age of 35.
At the same time, studies have further shown that the matrimonial bed is not safe anymore. This is because results from the ‘Mode of transmission analysis data’ which was also done in Kenya reveals that 44 percent of new infections in the country are occurring among heterosexual unions – cohabiting couples or married.
Even more worrying, further research in Kenya has shown that among people living with HIV, 50 per cent of them have a HIV negative partner at home who is not aware of their status.
This means that new campaign packages have to be tailor-made to target the youth, and couples because both groups are at a greater risk. However, this will have to start with each and everyone in the society. People must ensure that HIV and Aids is an open discussion in their houses. But most importantly, people must strive to know their HIV status and that of their partners.
If such important family level steps are combined with the prevailing scientific findings, then it will be possible to significantly reduce the HIV prevalence rate in the country.
For instance, scientists, some of them from Kenya have discovered an antiretroviral based product known as Truvada or Tenofovir, which has proven to be effective in preventing HIV acquisition among HIV negative people who engage in unprotected sex with HIV positive people.
Among 4,700 serial discordant (partners where one has HIV and the other one does not have) couples enrolled in clinical trials in Kenya and Uganda, 98 per cent among those who actually used the new product during their stay with HIV positive partners did not get infected.
As a result, on July 16, 2012, the United States Federal Drug Authority approved the drug, and went ahead to label it as a preventive drug against HIV acquisition. FDA is one of the world’s most trusted bodies for medicine assessment and approval.
Another trial study which part of it was done in Bondo, Nyanza province found out that treatment can actually be used as prevention. This study analysed people who had AIDS, but were enrolled on antiretroviral drugs. To some point, it was found that their viral load had reduced to a level that they could not infect their sexual partners.
This is good news because women who encounter men who refuse to use condom protection will now have something to protect themselves. As well, among discordant couples, it has been observed that people still end up in unprotected sexual encounter even after 100 per cent counseling with emphasis of use of the condom.
In a nutshell, it means that proper interventions are available, an indication that the disease could easily be wrestled down. Unfortunately, this can only happen if everybody knew their HIV status, and those who turn out positive enrolled on life saving drugs.
However, another reality is that in Kenya, and many other countries world over have commercial sex workers, and men who have sex with men. It is a reality that no government can run away from, because both activities have an under cover support from the society. Would commercial sex business for example thrive if the workers did not have clients? And who are the clients? Definitely they are men, some of them highly respected within the society.
This is as well catastrophic because a good number of commercial sex workers are either married, or have regular partners who are married to someone else. In the same vein, studies in Kenya have indicated that over 60 per cent of men who have sex with men have female partners or are married as a way of curtaining their sexual orientation.
The good news for such groups is that the current strategic plan for the National Aids Control Council is proposing projects for intervention among such high risk groups. This should be fully supported by policy makers because nobody knows how safe sex is in Kenya.
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