Alarm over shortage of condoms in Homa Bay

Reproductive and sexual health rights groups in Homa Bay County have raised the red flag over a biting condom shortage in the region, which, they said, is likely to lead to a drastic increase in HIV prevalence.

The activists said the condom crisis will make the county unable to achieve government's goal of ending new HIV infections by 2030 and lead to a spike in sexually transmitted infections especially among the youth and other vulnerable groups, including men having sex with men and sex workers.

National Syndemic Diseases Control Council South Nyanza Regional Manager Steven Oyugi said other counties are experiencing the same challenge, attributing it to “delays in the procurement process.”

Last year, the country experienced an acute shortage of free condoms due to shrinking donor funding that has led to a shortage.

For many years, Kenyans have been accessing male condoms in public places, including sanitation facilities, hospitals and condom dispensers to curb sexually transmitted infections including HIV/Aids, syphilis, gonorrhoea and unwanted pregnancies.