Kenyans having sex with multiple partners, ditching condoms- KDHS survey

A new report has laid bare how Kenyans are promiscuous Kenyans are indicating that despite the threats posed by unwanted pregnancies, HIV/Aids and other STIs, they are likely to jump into bed with whoever is available given a chance.

The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2023, which was released early in the week has also shattered the myth that it is the men with money who like having raw sex because they can pay for it as compared to women.

It says women prefer unprotected sex and that they will cheat depending on how much money they have though it hastens to add that men will cheat with multiple sexual partners as compared to women, irrespective of how wealthy they are.

However, regardless of gender, the more educated a person is, the more likely he or she is to cheat, which has exposed many people to sexually transmitted diseases.

The report added that women will cheat depending on the wealth they have, and the higher the wealth, the more likely they are to cheat.

The report said that 68 per cent of men used condoms when cheating, but only a paltry 37 per cent of women embraced condoms when having mpango-wa-kando sex.

"Use of a condom during the last sexual intercourse among men age 15-24 who had 2 or more sexual partners in the last 12 months is higher among those who have never been married (68pc) than among those who have ever been married (37 per cent). Most of the Women who have more wealth do not care about the number of anonymous partners they have intercourse with," the report read in part.

Women in urban areas tend to go for protected sex 42 per cent more than those in villages.

STI medication

The respondents were interviewed across the counties to verify the number of women who visited health facilities to seek medication for any STI or symptoms.

"Counties with the highest percentage of men age 15-49 who ever had sexual intercourse and who self-reported having an STI or symptoms of an STI are Bungoma (18 per cent), Narok (16 per cent), Homabay (13 per cent), and Migori (13 per cent). Counties with the lowest levels are Garissa and Kisii (less than 1 per cent each), and Machakos and Wajir with 1pc each," the survey said.

It added that men have more sexual partners these days as compared to women, with a range of 7.4 per cent for men and 2.3 per cent for women.

Women were recorded to have a low percentage (4 percent) among those aged between 15 and 49 of keeping side lovers in the last year, compared to 15 percent of men who had sexual partners during the same period.

"Nineteen per cent of women aged 15-49 had sexual intercourse in the last 12 months with a person who was neither their husband nor lived with them (a non-cohabiting partner). While 35 per cent of men had sexual intercourse in the last 12 months with their non-cohabiting partners," the report indicated.

Nonetheless, the more people of either gender were educated, the more likely they were to cheat.

More women with secondary education and above (27 per cent) aged 15-49 had intercourse with a person who was neither a husband nor lived together.