Residents of Kiandutu slums in Thika Sub County on Wednesday admitted they are forced to wash used condoms for reuse after an acute shortage of the same hit the area.
Some locals especially women revealed that they lack money to buy female condoms for use.
“There is no money to buy female condoms to use with clients. For safety purposes, we are forced to wash the used condoms so that we can reuse because some of clients won’t accept to have sex with us without protection,” said Martha Wangari, a sex worker.
She said female condoms are expensive unlike men condoms and urged Kiambu county government through the department of health to give free female condoms.
“We want to be supplied with free female condoms for safety purposes,” she added.
HIV/AIDS crusader Stanley Ngara on while presiding over the distribution of over 10,000 free condoms in the area at the same time urged residents to stop putting their health at risk by re-using condoms.
"Nobody is forced to have sex and I don’t see the reason as to why a man or a woman can wash a used condom to reuse. Let us all be careful and avoid playing unprotected sex,” he said.
He called on sex workers to leave the trade if they can’t afford to buy a condoms.