Kenya’s battle against sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies faces a new hurdle as condom use continues to plummet across the country.
A recent survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reveals a steady decline in condom uptake through 2025, sparking fears of increased exposure to unprotected sex. Data suggests that many users are moving away from barrier methods in favor of long-term contraceptives like implants.
The report tracks a consistent downward trend for both male and female condoms since 2023. Male condom use, for instance, fell to 510,173 users in 2025, a significant drop from 638,043 in 2024 and 721,857 in 2023. Female condoms saw an even steeper decline, crashing to just 16,760 users in 2025 from a high of 68,403 only two years prior.
As the KNBS report notes: “Most contraceptive methods recorded declines during the review period.”
The dwindling use of condoms isn’t an isolated trend; it mirrors a wider retreat from several traditional family planning methods across Kenya. The latest data reveals that even the most common options are losing ground. For instance, the uptake of contraceptive injections, long a staple in Kenyan households, fell by 10.9% among new clients and 8.6% for those returning for follow-up appointments.
Oral contraceptives took an even harder hit. The number of new clients opting for combined pills plummeted by nearly 30%, while repeat visits dropped by over 22%.
The KNBS report highlights this shift, noting, “The uptake of combined oral contraceptive pills declined by 29.9 percent for new clients and 22.7 percent for revisits.”
In contrast to the sharp decline in pills and barrier methods, implants have maintained their status as a preferred choice for women seeking long-term birth control. Although the number of new implant users dipped slightly to 692,212 in 2025 compared to the previous year, the figures remain significantly higher than those recorded in 2022 and 2023.
Interestingly, existing users appear more committed than ever to this method. Revisit rates for implant services actually grew to 336,719 in 2025, signaling a steady trust in long-term solutions even as other methods fall out of favor.
Summarizing these mixed results, KNBS observed: “Implants declined by 3.0 per cent for new clients, while revisits increased by 2.4 per cent.”
The latest data indicates a significant transition in how Kenyans approach reproductive health, favoring long-term stability over short-term methods. Implants, in particular, are gaining ground as a preferred option due to their reputation for convenience and cost-effectiveness.
However, this shift away from daily or barrier-based methods appears widespread. Progestin-only pills saw a 15% drop among new users, while the number of women opting for sterilization through bilateral tubal ligation fell by 13.9%. In a surprising turn, vasectomy stood out as the only method to show growth, with uptake increasing by 9.2% in 2025, though the total number of clients remains low at 415.
Health experts are raising the alarm that this move away from condoms could stall or even reverse years of progress in HIV prevention and sexual health awareness, especially among young people. The KNBS findings trigger a new debate over whether these trends stem from personal preference, potential supply chain gaps, or a decline in public health campaigns. The report underscores the urgency of the situation:
“The trends point to the need for sustained efforts to improve uptake and ensure access to family planning services.”
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