in

High Condom Prices Hike Demand for P2 Contraceptives in Kenya

Some condom brands have recorded up to 4 times increments in prices since last year.
Condoms. Source/Unsplash
  • Some condom brands have recorded up to 4 times increments in prices since last year.
  • Couples have resulted in unprotected sex.

A recent article in the Daily Nation Newspaper has disclosed that prices of various condom brands in Kenya have hiked within the past year. Some have doubled, while others have recorded up to 4 times increments in prices.

Suppliers have blamed the high prices on high taxes on imported products. A spot check done by the Nation on various retail stores across the country revealed that:

  • A packet of Skyn condoms costs Ksh 1500, up from Ksh 500 last year
  • A packet of Trust classic costs ksh 200 from ksh 50 last year
  • Trust studded goes for ksh 250, up from ksh 100 last year
  • A packet of Durex Performa (3 pieces) goes for Ksh 605
  • A packet of Durex Extra safe goes for ksh 406
  • A packet of Durex featherlight is ksh 457

Health officials have also reported a rise in sexually transmitted infections as people resort to raw sex.

Pharmacists have also reported that the number of Kenyans requesting PEP drugs has risen. Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) drugs are taken to keep HIV from taking hold.

They should be taken within 72 hours. The increased demand for these drugs shows that the number of people having unprotected sex has risen.

More men are also buying P2 drugs, which retail at ksh 100. However, health experts have cautioned that taking these drugs frequently can be detrimental to one’s health.

The Nation newspaper also reported that condom dispensers In public health facilities and Huduma centres across the country are empty, showing that the government has stopped supplying free condoms.

 

Kapombe began her career as a reporter and news reader at Shine FM while she was still a student at Daystar University.

Mashirima Kapombe: A Rising Star in Kenyan Journalism

Mike Sonko Proudly Celebrates Lastborn Daughter’s Graduation