Kenyan Men Surpass Women In HIV Prevalence For First Time, New Report

• HIV positivity among men in Kenya in 2022 surpassed that of women for the first time since 2015
• AIDs Healthcare Foundation (AHF) blamed the trend on ‘mubaba’ culture and bisexual behaviour among men in Kenya
• Earlier, the KDHS survey 2022 revealed Kenyan men have an average of seven partners, putting themselves and others at risk of HIV
• Meru county is leading in adolescent pregnancies as HIV prevalence increases in low-burden counties like Uasin Gishu, Kisii and Samburu

Nairobi - A recently published report about HIV in Kenya has revealed a new worrying trend among men. According to the study by AIDs Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the positivity rate in men in 2022 spiked to 3.1% from around 2.5% registered in 2021.

This is the first time since 2015 that the positivity rate in men was higher than that of women, which according to the report, was at 2.7% in 2022.

Why is HIV increasing among Kenyan men?

Dr Samuel Kinyanjui, the AHF Country Program Director, attributed the trend to what he termed as 'mubaba' culture (cross-generational relations) and men having relations with both men and women.

"Men are now having relations with other men. Men engaging with men has been identified as a very risky behaviour...it is very easy to contract HIV. The other trend we are seeing is the mubaba culture. A man is sponsoring a lady in life and because he believes or was told he is the only one, he does not use protection...he doesn't know several other men are paying rent for the same lady and they have also been informed they are the only ones," Kinyanjui commented during the release of the report.

The medic further indicated that men have more partners than women, a factor he said was contributing to the spike in the positivity rate.

Kenya men have 7 intimate partners

The multiple partner factor was congruent with the findings of the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) that revealed Kenyan men have an average of seven partners.

Kinyanjui was, however, emphatic that women continue to shoulder the heaviest burden of the disease, revealing that under AHF, of the 96,601 patients, 65,336 were women, while men were 31,265.

"We understand that men are not good at getting tested. Some wait until the disease has taken a terrible toll before showing up for treatment. This should stop," he added.

Adolescents, HIV and pregnancies

Janet Musimbi, Programme officer- the Adolescent and Youth (programme at the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council), said HIV prevalence is increasing in previously low-burden counties.

The counties with high prevalence, she said, include Homa Bay (15.2%), Kisumu (14.5%), Siaya (13.2%), Migori (9.7%), Busia (5%), Mombasa (4.8%), Kisii (4.4%), Samburu (4.3), Vihiga (4.2%) and Uasin Gishu (3.7%).

On teen pregnancies, she listed Meru as the county with the biggest burden noting that Governor Kawera Mwangaza-led county had the highest number recorded between January and May 2023.

It was followed by Narok, Tana River, Samburu, West Pokot, Homa Bay and Kisii.

"About 6% of pregnancies occurred among girls aged 10-14 between 2016-2022. Between Jan- May 2023, Meru County had the highest proportion of adolescent pregnancies (10-19) in the country at 26%. Sexual and Age-related heterogeneity - young women aged 15-24 years are approximately four times more likely to become infected with HIV than young men," she said.

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Dr Samuel Kinyanjui of AHF

National Syndemic Diseases Control Council

National Syndemic Diseases Control Council