Nyanza leading in homosexual tendencies

By Margaret Kanini

Kenya: Nyanza and Nairobi regions have the highest number of men who have sex with men (MSMs) and women who have sex with women (WSWs), a report has revealed.

According to the National Aids and STIs Control Programme (Nascop) report released in 2012, Nyanza is leading with 2,765 followed by Nairobi County with 1,702 and the coast region is third with 775.

Health experts say these people are at a much higher risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections especially HIV and Aids.

“MSMs and WSWs change their sex partners at least three or four times a week. And this is feared to raise the number of people living with STIs especially HIV and Aids,” said Mary Kuria, the chairperson in the department of psychiatry at the University of Nairobi during a mental health symposium.

Homosexual behaviour

Lukoye Atwoli, who is a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer at Moi University’s School of Medicine told The Standard that MSMs and WSWs are very different from homosexuals because they only have the homosexual behaviour regardless of how they identify.

Homosexuality, on the other hand, is characterised by sexual attraction between members of the same sex and it is a cultural identity.

Kuria adds that most MSMs and WSWs are paid to have sex, saying that this sexual behaviour does not happen naturally.

“Sixty-eight per cent of the men who have sex with men are paid to do it and 62 per cent of women engaging in this activity are also paid to do it,” she said.

Senior medical lecturers and doctors present at the event blamed the increased poverty levels and unemployment in the country for the increased number of such tendencies.

They said those engaging in MSMS and WSWs are mostly unemployed Kenyan youths around the age of 26.

Studies by Nascop further reveal that the most significant clients of this group of people are married men and women who engage discreetly not to be noticed by their spouses.

UNAids (2012) report reveals that MSMs and WSWs within the sub-Saharan region of Africa experience a high HIV and Aids prevalence burden of 19 per cent.