Expectant teenagers test HIV/Aids positive
Some expectant teenagers who have sought ante natal clinic in Murang’a health facilities have tested positive for HIV.
Murang’a County Health Executive Member for Health and Sanitation Mr. Joseph Mbai said among the pregnant teens in the county, four per cent of them have tested HIV positive.
He said those who have been found positive have been introduced to ARVs and are being closely monitored by community health workers to ensure they take medication as prescribed so as to avoid mother-child infection.
Speaking when he launched a programme aimed at hastening diagnosis of TB and HIV, said that it was high time young people were engaged in sex education.
In Murang’a, Mbai observed, many young people are engaging in unprotected sex without knowing the consequences of the behavior.
“From our records, in Murang’a we have about 16,000 people living with HIV and among them, 25 percent are teenagers,” he added.
The CEC further said some of those found to be HIV positive sometimes neglect taking drugs as prescribed putting their sexual partners at risk of contradicting the disease.
He underscored the need to educate young people on dangers of engaging into early sex as the trend may destroy their future lives.
“We have engaged our community health volunteers and facilitated them with motorcycles so as to be picking specimen from all our health centres at grassroots and bring them to Murang’a Level 5 Hospital for diagnosis.
The move will help to accelerate getting results of those who want to know their HIV or TB status,” explained Mbai. - KNA
