Partners in Reproductive Health (PIRH)

Ondiek Estate

Along Kenya National Library Road

P.O. Box 1764 Kisumu

Phone: 254 - 057 - 2024872

Email: pirh.project@gmail.com

PIRH was started in October 2006, following a sub-cooperative agreement between NRHS and CHF International/ Kenya, with funding from PEPFAR through CDC.

PIRH’s mission is to reduce the incidence of new HIV infections among out-of school youth and young adults aged 10-35 in Winam and Kombewa Divisions in Kisumu through integrated and cost-effective youth- friendly behavioral change communication interventions.

The following performance based activities are conducted to meet the goal and the strategic objectives of the project:

1. Curriculum Based Outreaches - Out of school youth and young adults in the two divisions are reached with messages beyond abstinence and being faithful through curriculum based outreaches. Each outreach will take 30 hrs, spread over 1 week, and discussions will revolve around the topics in the adopted Engender Health’s Men as Partners in HIV/AIDS prevention and Care (MAP) curriculum. Each outreach comprises 12 participants per complete outreach. Trained peer educators conduct the outreach sessions. Outreach participants are drawn from the following primary target groups: unmarried young men /women, married young men/ women, young men working in the informal sectors (boda boda cyclists, fishermen), young men and women with different sexual orientations, HIV+ young men/ women, commercial sex workers, married adolescents, discordant couples.
2. Community Mobilization / Sensitization Campaigns - Community mobilization and sensitization campaigns are conducted in high risk neighborhoods and locations in Winam and Kombewa divisions. These mobilizations sensitize youth and young adults in the two divisions on the services provided by the project, and also promote community dialogue on HIV/AIDS / STI risk reduction and minimization strategies like condom use, knowing one’s HIV status. The community mobilizations and campaigns are reinforced by forum theatre, youth extravaganzas, interactive radio health programs, IEC materials like brochures.
3. Development / Pretesting/ Distribution of Youth Magazine - The project develops and distributes a 12-page youth magazine, The Stay Alive Youth Magazine, with messages that reinforce safer sex behaviors and practices, including information on STIs, HIV/AIDS, and experiences of youth and young adults living with HIV/AIDS. To get feed back from the youth readership, the magazine has “Letters to the editor” section, which collates all responses and enquiries from the youth. The magazine is distributed through a network of youth action groups and the peer educators’ networks in the district.
4. Develop/ Pretest/ Air Radio Health Programs - To reinforce the risk reduction messages from the magazine and outreaches, the project also develops radio health programs, The Stay Alive Youth Radio programs. The project has developed a strategic partnership with a community based radio station, Radio Nam Lolwe FM (FM 97.3). Youth and young adults are rallied to form Radio Listeners Clubs. .Expert guest speakers are invited to the weekly radio program. The radio program also use a number of strategies to make it youth friendly: use of greeting cards, call-ins, prizes, entertaining.
5. STI screening and Treatment - Male STI patients and their partners are screened and treated. Men and their sexual partners who come for STI treatment undergo rigorous risk reduction Counselling. About 300 young males and their sexual partners are treated of STIs monthly.
6. Voluntary HIV Counselling and Testing - Youth and young adults are counseled and tested for HIV. Clients for HIV Counselling services are recruited through outreaches and community mobilization campaigns. About 300 youth and young adults are counseled and tested monthly. Young men who turn negative, and who are interested in being circumcised are referred to UNIM and the district health facilities for voluntary safe male circumcision. VCT provides an entry point for MC, thus the provision of comprehensive prevention package. Youth and young adults who turn positive are referred to KIPE for psychosocial support and to Tuungane Youth Project for ARVs.
7. Condom Promotion and distribution - The project has set up 250 mobile condom service outlets, through the trained peer educators. The peer educators are supported to educate their sexually active peers on proper and consistent condom use. About 25,000 male latex condoms are distributed monthly in the high risk locations in Kisumu by the peer educators.
8. Group/ Individual Risk Reduction Counselling Sessions - Risk reduction Counselling (RRC) sessions are conducted weekly by trained peer counsellors. The RCC focus on disclosure of HIV status to sexual partners, drugs and substance abuse prevention, increasing social skills of HIV+ members, assertive communication skills, identifying triggers for unsafe sex, ways to incorporate new safe sex strategies/ building of risk reduction skills. Further, couple Counselling sessions with seropositive and discordant couples are conducted by trained psychological counselors with a focus on disclosure, safe sex through consistent condom use, intimate partner violence, sexual communication and decision making, stigmatization of partners with HIV.
9. Link HIV negative young men to MC services - HIV negative young men are be mobilized and linked to MC services at UNIM and other MoH accredited health facilities in the district. This is preceded by comprehensive HIV prevention education through small group sessions.