Youth in Homa Bay County have raised concern over shortage of free condoms normally supplied by the government.
Led by the Youth Advocacy Council for Health (YACH) President Mercy Kwamboka, they revealed that the shortage will compromise the fight against the spread of HIV/Aids and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) as well as early pregnancies.
“Without condoms in dispensers in public places, the youth are prone to infections and pregnancies,” Kwamboka said while addressing her peers during the International Youth Week celebrations.
She added that as a result, they will be conducting a social media campaign to push the government to supply the condoms.
At the same time, the County HIV Coordinator Omondi Obunga asked the youth and residents at large to exercise more patience as concerned officials seek to address the issue on time.
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“Condoms may be in short supply but the issue will be resolved soon,” Obunga said.
Homa Bay is among the counties in Kenya with a high rate of HIV infections and teen pregnancies. Defilement cases which are linked to SGBV are also high in the county.
The county leads nationally in HIV/ Aids prevalence at 19.6 per cent according to the Kenya Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (KENPHIA) report.
By Vostine Ratemo
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