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Stakeholders fighting against sexually transmitted infections now say Homa Bay County must have a stable supply of condoms as gonorrhoea infection rises.
Homa Bay is one of the counties with a high burden of HIV infections and other sexually transmitted infections. The county has risk factors that put residents at risk of contracting the disease.
Such factors include the existence of Lake Victoria beaches where sex for fish is rampant.
In spite of the sporadic condom shortage, HIV prevalence in Homa Bay remains a serious issue.
According to the Kenya Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (KENPHIA) research of 2018, Homa Bay has an HIV prevalence rate of 19.6 per cent. This rate is much higher than the national average of HIV prevalence which 4.9 percent, as discovered in the same research.
This has led to various interventions aimed at creating behaviour change among residents. One of the is the advocacy for condom use.
However, there are some occasions when the county has been hit by an acute shortage of condoms.
Some none governmental organisations officials have said condom supply should be stable in the county.
The Director of Community Aid Transformation Alliance Group (CATAG) Zahra Hassan's unstable supply of condoms puts residents at risk of contracting HIV and STIs.
Speaking at Tom Mboya University, Hassan said there has been a shortage of condoms in the county but the situation has been salvaged. "There has been a shortage of condom supply but I am happy that the shortage is no longer there."
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