Innovation to Protect Women’s Reproductive Health in Kenya

MULTIPURPOSE PREVENTION TECHNOLOGIES (MPTS)

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“every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care.” [Article 43(1)(a)].

According to Kenya’s new constitution

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Kenya is making progress on sexual and reproductive health

• HIV prevalence rate is down from 7.2% to 5.6%.

• Male condom distribution is up significantly.

• Fertility rates are falling slightly.

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Women and girls still face unacceptable rates of unplanned pregnancies

• 43% of births are unplanned.• 18% of women age 15–19 are mothers.• Unmet need for contraception is 60%.

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Women and girls still face unacceptable risk of maternal mortality and unsafe abortion

• 8,000 Kenyan women die annually due to pregnancy-related complications.

• Unsafe abortion is a leading cause of death and injuries to women.

• Over 70% of women with abortion complications were not using contraception before pregnancy.

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Women and girls still face unacceptable risk of HIV and STIs

• 5.2% of women in Kenya aged 15‒24 are HIV positive. • Women are four times more at risk then men.• 35% of Kenyans have herpes.• Female sex workers are at high risk.

– There are approximately 200,000 sex workers in Kenya.– Sex workers and clients contribute 14% of new infections.

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MPTs increase women’s protection options

Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) are products that combine protection against unintended pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

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Current MPT options are not being used to their full potential

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Female condoms put protection in women’s hands

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• Many new MPTs in development are female initiated.

• MPTs could potentially improve convenience and reduce costs.

New MPTs under development

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Kenya call to action

In support of every Kenyan’s right to health• Increase funding for MPT development• Advance research through collaboration• Promote the use of MPTs as they become available

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Kenya can continue to lead the way

“… life progresses; things keep changing. You see how a condom operates as both contraceptive and HIV protection. How about if you incorporate in the gel both contraception and HIV prevention? Because am thinking at our age we want ready made things. Like they go to the supermarkets and buy readymade chapattis and so I am thinking if you do that people will be more willing to use it (microbicides).” -Source: young (16-24) female focus group discussion participant in the Communicating about Microbicides with Women in Mind project, FHI360

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Thank you.For more information, visit: www.MPTs101.org

Representatives of the following organisations served as members of the Kenya MPT Communication and Advocacy Advisory Committee: AVAC, CAMI Health, Centre for HIV Prevention and Research/University of Nairobi, Division of Reproductive Health, FHI360, Global Change Network, KEMRI, Kenyatta National Hospital/University of Washington, PPFA, and PATH.

Support for this project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of the HealthTech Cooperative Agreement # AID-OAA-A-11-00051. The contents are the responsibility of PATH and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.