Nakuru government has raised the alarm over a high number of youths seeking PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) to prevent HIV after unprotected sex.
At a briefing, Ruth laibon Masha, the head of National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) said the high demand means the risk had already occurred.
She revealed that most youths who sought for the treatment during the 2024 WRC Safari Rally in Naivasha claimed to have engaged in unprotected sex while drunk.
“Demand for post-exposure is high which means more people are having unprotected sex, with high-risk individuals. When there is high demand for PEP, it means unprotected risk sex has already happened. All they said is that they were using condoms, which burst, or were drunk when having sex,” Masha disclosed.
Masha informed that they had recruited more than 100 health workers for the Safari Rally in Naivasha to raise awareness among the youth.
She claimed that, despite having distributed over 200,000 condoms, health officials were concerned that the majority of young people preferred PEP tablets.
“We have a challenge because young people are waiting for risk to happen then they come. What they need are condoms or Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP), which must be taken seven days prior to exposure,” she added.
Doctors warn that continued use of the therapy heightens risks due to the development of drug resistance upon subsequent infections. PEP must be administered within two hours of exposure, and no later than 72 hours afterward. Masha stated that in 2023, 117 individuals tested positive for infection while on PEP, with overuse or delayed administration being the cited causes for the incidents.
The 2024 Safari Rally (also known as the 2024 Safari Rally Kenya) was a motor racing event for rally cars held over four days from March 28 TO March 31, 2024. It marked the seventy-second running of the Safari Rally, and was the third round of the 2024 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship and World Rally Championship. The event was based in Naivasha in the Nakuru County, and was contested over nineteen special stages.