Don't rely on wife's HIV test results, official warns men

HIV positive test. [Courtesy/GettyImages]

Health officials in Bungoma County have raised concern over a growing trend in which men avoid HIV testing and instead depend on their wives’ test results to determine their own status. 

County Director for Health and Sanitation, Caleb Watta, said new data shows infections remain higher among women largely because men are not turning up for testing. 

Dr Watta said the behaviour was evident even during the World AIDS Day activities, where the majority of those presenting themselves for testing were women. 

“I was teasing the men in the tent, asking them to come with me for testing. Their response was, ‘We shall test in the coming week',” he noted on Monday. 

He warned that relying on a partner’s status was misleading. 

“One partner testing negative for HIV doesn’t mean the other is safe. Whenever you accompany your partner to the clinic, don’t just sit outside. Go and test too. You may assume you are safe, yet there is something called the widow period, your results may show later,” he said.  

Despite the challenges, the county has made strides in reducing HIV prevalence. 

According to Dr. Watta, ministry statistics show Bungoma’s prevalence has dropped from 2.3 percent in 2023 to 1.7 percent in 2025. 

“Two to three years ago, Bungoma was not doing well in fighting the triple threats. Through collaboration with stakeholders, we have made progress,” he said. 

National data from the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC), however, shows mother-to-child transmission remains worryingly high, rising to 9.3 percent in 2024 from 7.3 percent in 2023—far above the global target of 5 percent. 

The council says the numbers point to persistent gaps in preventing vertical transmission. 

In Bungoma, 679 new HIV infections were recorded this year, with youths accounting for the highest share. 

Watta urged consistent condom use, adding that social issues such as gender-based violence (GBV) and teenage pregnancies are closely linked to rising infections. 

“Sexual and gender-based violence among children and adolescents has increased. Seventy-eight percent of pregnancies resulting from rape or defilement occur among adolescents aged 10–19. Through gender violence and teen pregnancy cases is where people get new HIV infections,” he said. 

He noted that the county has established youth-friendly service centres within health facilities to encourage confidential HIV testing. 

“If you fear going for HIV testing, our facilities have youth-friendly centres where you can walk in and be tested without anyone seeing you,” he said. 

Bungoma has 182 public and 172 private health facilities serving its population of about two million people. He urged residents to make use of them. 

“Kindly let us visit these health facilities and get to know our health,” he said. 

He however encouraged those who test positive to stick to their medication to suppress the virus and live healthy lives, while attributing part of the recent surge in infections to the withdrawal of USAID support.