Men fear HIV tests

It is midday at Njiru slums in Nairobi’s Eastlands area.

Two men and three women are here to test, counsel and possibly include residents who may be HIV positive in their treatment programme.

They are let into a house, identify themselves and the leader explains their visit.

After learning that the group is on a door-door HIV testing mission, the man of the house excuses himself saying he is late for work.

His wife also refuses to allow them carry the test on her.

“Come another day. Hopefully my husband will consent to it,” she says.

The group moves on to the next house, where they find a woman who introduces herself as Josephine Njeri.

Njeri has already taken a HIV test, and she informs them of her positive status.

Further, she reveals she is on anti-retroviral treatment (ART). Her husband too.

According to statistics, a worrying percentage of men who should be accessing ARV drugs do not turn up in healthcare facilities for testing and treatment.

Results from the latest Kenya Aids Indicator Survey report (KAIS 2007) shows that more women are being tested for HIV than their male counterparts; that, for every three Kenyans tested for HIV, only one is a man, whereas of the 270,000 Kenyans on ARV treatment, only a third are men.

“Kenyan men who should be accessing treatment are not doing so because they do not know their HIV status,” observes the Kenya Aids Control programme officer, Dr Francis Nyamiobo.

According to the clinical director of the Kenya Aids Control project Dr Joshua Kimani, stigma and fear of breaking family ties are key reasons for the low turnout of men for HIV testing and treatment.

Most men who don’t go for testing but suspect to be HIV positive access ART treatment through proxies.

Dr Nyamiobo says the dangers of using ART drugs without proper prescription has largely drawn attention amongst HIV/Aids caregivers.