Sexual health remains one of those subjects Kenyans are comfortable discussing in whispers but reluctant to confront openly. Yet September’s Sexual Health Awareness Month offers an opportunity to change that conversation.
Sexual health is not simply about preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. It encompasses fertility, contraception, reproductive cancers, healthy relationships, sexual wellbeing, maternal health and access to accurate information and respectful healthcare.
Kenya has made progress, but significant gaps remain. The latest national estimates put the number of people living with HIV at about 1.48 million in 2026, with 13,936 new infections recorded during the year. Young people remain particularly affected. The Ministry of Health recently described HIV infections, adolescent pregnancy and sexual and gender-based violence as a “triple threat” facing young Kenyans.
The numbers around adolescent pregnancy are equally sobering. About 15 per cent of girls aged 15–19 have begun childbearing, according to WHO’s latest Kenya annual report. Maternal mortality also remains high, estimated at 355 deaths per 100,000 live births.
These figures should push us beyond awareness campaigns towards practical action.
One important development this year has been Kenya’s introduction of lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable for HIV prevention. The move gives people another prevention option and demonstrates how innovation can complement established measures such as condoms, testing and treatment.
But innovation will mean little if stigma continues to keep people away from healthcare facilities.
Young people, in particular, need services where they can ask uncomfortable questions without fear of judgement. Recent work in Kibera has highlighted how concerns about stigma and the age of healthcare workers can discourage young people from discussing contraception, HIV and gender-based violence.
The responsibility also falls on healthcare providers to make sexual and reproductive healthcare more comprehensive.
Hospitals such as illustrate the broader role that specialist facilities can play. Its gynaecology services cover routine preventive care, Pap smears and contraceptive counselling, alongside treatment for conditions including fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, menstrual disorders and infertility. The hospital also provides obstetric care, including management of high-risk pregnancies.
Such services matter because prevention should not begin when disease has already become complicated.
Sexual health awareness should encourage people to seek regular check-ups, discuss contraception openly, test for HIV and other infections when appropriate, address fertility concerns early and seek medical attention for unusual bleeding, persistent pelvic pain, abnormal discharge or other concerning symptoms.
Most importantly, sexual health should be treated as healthcare — not a source of shame.
September gives us a reason to start the conversation. Kenya now needs to make sure that conversation continues long after the awareness month ends.
