Empower young women in Kenya to negotiate for safer sex

Negotiating for safer sex simply refers to communicating with your partner on sexual contact that reduces the risk of passing on any infection and reduces the risk of an unintended pregnancy and at the end being able to reach an agreement which both parties are comfortable with.

Women in Kenya have been disempowered for so long when it comes to negotiating for safer sex and yet they are the ones who bear the brunt of HIV. According to the National AIDS Control Council, new HIV infection among young women is very high. For women between the ages of 15-19 years it stands at 70% while for women between the ages of 20-24 years it stands at 62%.

Even after the introduction of female condoms to help women prevent STIs and unintended pregnancy, women still shy away from using them. They believe that it is the man to decide if he will use protection or not. For so long women in Kenya have assumed their role in negotiating for safer sex and left it to men hence becoming voiceless and having less negotiating power for safer sex. Regardless of profession, level of education and status, many young women are still having trouble negotiating for safe sex with their partners.

Lack of knowledge on HIV and contraception, general discomfort associated with discussing about sex and sexuality, fear of giving an impression that you don’t trust your partner, fear of ‘killing the mood’ or instilling a sense of fear and fear of not being able to deal with resistance shown by the partner are some of the reasons why young women avoid discussing safer sex with their male partners.

There is need to empower young women with knowledge on how to negotiate for safer sex to help reduce the high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among young women in Kenya.  What young girls and women need is comprehensive sexuality education. The more they know about  their sexual and reproductive health and rights, the more empowered they would be in negotiating for safer sex and ensuring that they don’t come in contact with any sexually transmitted infection or unintended pregnancy. Knowledge is power.