Effectiveness of HIV & Aids Prevention Communication Campaigns: the Case of Gay Community in Nairobi County

Abstract

HIV prevalence in Kenya‘s general population is 5.6% yet HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Kenya is almost three times that among the general population (17%); regardless of knowledge of safe sex and transmission of the disease. As a result, this study examines the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns targeting the gay community in Nairobi (Kenya). It assesses the knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns among the gay people in Nairobi, attempts to find out the protective measures that MSM employ and investigates the effectiveness of channels of communication being used to reach MSM. In this study, Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is used. The research design applied is exploratory research design. The study is purely qualitative and sample size for this study is 50 MSM. Sampling technique employed is snowball sampling and purposive sampling. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. From the findings, high prevalence of HIV and AIDs in MSM is mainly due to insufficient access to HIV/AIDS prevention communication campaigns and MSM-tailored information. Accessing health services and information was undermined by factors such as stigma, discrimination, and laws criminalizing sex between men. For easy access of HIV/AIDS prevention information, this study recommends that the healthcare institutions should create HIV related prevention and awareness messages that are MSM-tailored. To reduce cases of stigma and discrimination, training modules on MSM health needs and rights should be developed and offered as part of the Continuous Medical Education (CME). Also, it is imperative to remove legal barriers that undermine access to HIV-related services such as laws that criminalize consensual sex between men.