Women Using Heroin in Kenya: Why It’s Important to Intervene Early in Life

Recreational drug use in Kenya is common among men, women, and youth from both rural and urban environments. 

Heroin is the primary drug taken by injection in Kenya and it is linked with increased rates of HIV transmission. 

Recent research has shown that women who inject drugs in Kenya are more likely than men to contract HIV. 

In order to understand the trends amongst heroin use amongst women in Kenya, a team of researchers have examined why and how young girls and women progressed from using legal drugs – like alcohol and cigarettes – into illicit narcotics, like heroin.

The researchers found that:

• most women were introduced to drugs during their teenage years by male sexual partners
• stigma prevented women from accessing drug treatment or needle exchange programmes
• many of the women participated in commercial sex work to obtain money to buy drugs

The research highlighted the need for targetted interventions in order to sensitively treat substance use issues. Practitioners designing and delivering HIV prevention programmes should be mindful of potential substance use issues and find ways to tackle the stigma that prevents many young women to access appropriate support.