High tax on condoms blamed for rise in teen pregnancies

THERE is a major condom shortage in Kenya. According to authorities in the country, the shortage can be attributed to the high tax placed on contraceptives, even though they are usually donor funded.

Kenyan officials have encouraged citizens to make use of alternatives, as the dire condom shortage continues. The Daily Nation reports that the country, which is in the grip of an acute shortage of condoms amid rising cases of teenage pregnancy, HIV/Aids among the youth and resurgence of sexually transmitted illnesses, has left most public health facilities, hotels, offices and restaurants without free condoms in their dispensers for the past year. Donors who import antiHIV drugs reportedly clashed with the government earlier this year over the high taxes.

Meanwhile, the ministry of health said it was committed to ensuring the condom shortage in the country was addressed as soon as possible. The country needs 455million condoms annually against the 1.6 million provided by the government per month. Close to 20 million condoms were distributed in the country last year.

The National Aids and STIs Control Programme (Nascop) has expressed concern over the shortage because the situation could be a setback for all their STIs Control efforts, said the organisation.

Nascop head Catherine Ngugi told the Daily Nation that the country needs $4.6 million (R73.3m) to procure 1.3 million male condoms and 884 210 female condoms, funding which mainly comes from donors. According to reports, Ngugi underscored the need to address condom shortage because of the high number of teenage girls getting pregnant and the resurgence of sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis. In 2019, a total of 41 408 people were newly infected with HIV, and more than 20 000 died of HIV-related causes.

Meanwhile, the 2020 World Aids Day Report showed that the rates of new HIV infections have steadily declined over the years, with the annual rate falling by nearly 25% between 2018 and last year.

But with 89 new HIV infections daily, the rate of people becoming newly infected still outpaces the capacity to extend treatment access and cope with the effects of HIV.

The 2020 report further revealed that condom use among adolescents and young adults plays an important role in the prevention of transmission of HIV, STIs and unwanted pregnancies. The reports showed that this age group are at a high risk of contracting HIV as they are more likely to experiment with sex before marriage. Study findings show that more girls than boys use condoms at their first sexual encounter. About 26.1% and 43.3% of adolescents and youths between 15 and 19, 20 to 24 years, respectively, reported having used a condom during their last sexual intercourse encounter.

The percentage of women and men aged 15 to 24 who used a condom during their last premarital sexual intercourse has steadily increased. Among women, condom use increased from 27% in 2003 and 40% in 2008-09, to 61% in 2014. Similarly, condom use among men increased from 48% in 2003 and

64% in 2008-09 to 75% in 2014.

The report indicated that there’s a need to strengthen condom distribution channels, reporting systems, monitoring, and distribution centres to improve condom distribution and use among adolescents and young people.