STUDY SHOWS THAT H 50% of Sex Workers in Kenya are HIV Positive!

A research carried out by the Ministry of Health has revealed that half the number of 138, 420 prostitutes operating in Kenya are HIV positive.

The research, coordinated by the National AIDS/STI control programme, shows that

Nairobi has the largest number of prostitutes followed by Rift Valley.

“We found Nairobi to hold the largest share of prostitutes at 20 per cent of the total number followed by Rift Valley (17 per cent), Coast (14 per cent), Nyanza (14 per cent), Eastern (12 per cent), Western (12 per cent), Central (10 per cent) and North Eastern (2 per cent),” says the census report.

The study also revealed that most prostitutes in Nairobi were operating from bars and hotels while home-based prostitution was more common in the Rift Valley. Road and truck stop sex work was rampant in the Western province.

The research was funded by the US government, the World Bank, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and will be used in the planning of HIV prevention programmes.

“This enumeration of female sex workers provides an important starting point for the planning of HIV prevention programmes, including the prioritisation of cities, towns and locations,” says the study which was led by Dr Willis Omondi Odek of University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
SOURCE:NAIROBIWIRE