Brian, a 40-year-old resident of Kapseret, first noticed a burning sensation when passing urine. What began as mild discomfort soon turned into severe pain. Last December, while his wife was upcountry, Brian had unprotected sex with a sex worker he met on the streets of Eldoret town. He says the trip had drained him financially, leaving him without money to purchase condoms. Embarrassed by his actions and fearful of disclosing the encounter to a doctor, he opted to self-medicate with antibiotics in a bid to ease the pain. The symptoms worsened. Eventually, he sought treatment at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital…
Author: Mercy Kahenda
Benard Orwongo, a Nairobi-based parent to an adolescent girl who recently completed Form Four, has made it a routine to talk to her about HIV, how it is transmitted and the risks associated with unprotected sex. He fears that at her age, she can easily be lured into early sexual activity, exposing her to HIV infections and unwanted pregnancies. His concerns follow new data by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC), which shows that four in every 10 new HIV infections are reported among adolescents and young people aged between 15 and 24. The trend is particularly worrying this…