1. CHITCHAT TO REDUCE HIV/AIDS STIGMA
AMONG SEXUAL MINORITIES GROUPS IN
KENYA
PETER NJANE (Director)
ISHTAR-MSM (Nairobi, Kenya)
3rd NOPE CONFERENCE ON PEER
EDUCATION,HIV & AIDS
Date:18th June, 2008

2. Overview
 About ISHTAR
 Current situation of MSM in Kenya
 Successes so far
 Challenges and Barriers
 Recommendations

3. ISHTAR- MSM
 Established in 1997
 Registered as a Community Based Organization
(CBO)
 Consists of 200 members
 HIV prevention and care
 Develop positive attitudes and values to the
society on MSM issues
 Identify and develop referral systems for MSMs’
health needs

4. Current Situation of MSM in Kenya
 Health care services inaccessible to MSM with few
exceptions across Kenya
 Many MSM self-medicate or purchase drugs from
pharmacies when experiencing STI symptoms
 Many MSM fear discrimination and stigma from
healthcare providers
 Healthcare providers not trained to provide services
to MSM and unaware of sexual health and HIV
needs of MSM

5. Cont….
 Appropriate and sensitive counselling
services not available
 Water-based lubricants are not readily
available
 HIV and sexual health campaigns only talk
about vaginal sex as route of transmission

6. Challenges and Barriers
 Criminalization of consensual sex between
adult males (S162, Penal Code of Kenya)
 Ignorance of MSM HIV needs among
healthcare providers and policy makers
 Religious, moral, cultural attitudes
 Stigma, esp. HIV and sexuality
 Scope – not possible to reach rural MSM

7. Recommendations
 Create more awareness among MSM on HIV/AIDS
 MSM to take part in prevention and management of
HIV/AIDS
 Repealing S162 will remove the legal barrier to
service provision for MSM, reduce stigma and
ultimately reduce MSM vulnerability to HIV infection
 Involve MSM in service provision, policy and
research – rather than being reduced to the ‘study
population’ or ‘service recipients’
 Expansion of MSM services
 Implementation of policy

8. pnjoro2002@yahoo.com
Thank you.