Ahmed Said is a person who use drugs from Kenya. He is a member of Kenya Network of People Who Use Drugs [KeNPUD]. Ahmed has been a voice of PWUDs in Kenya and African region having been a Secretary Board Member of Africa Network of People Who Use Drugs [AfricaNPUD] for a span of three years. He is also representing the PWUDs as Executive Committee Member for Key Population Consortium of Kenya. He is also serving at the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism [CCM] of Kenya as an alternate member representing Key Populations from four [4] typologies (SW, MSM, TG and PWID).

Background:
PWID in Kenya have a prevalence of 18.7% and the MSM have 18.2% HIV prevalence and SW have a prevalence of 29.3%. PWIDs come from the community that interrelates with other KP typologies. Kwale County has approximate of 4500 PWUDs and intersectionality of SW and MSM/MSW who use drugs. However, due to homophobia within the PWID community majority have been in fear of expressing their sexual orientation. FSWs among PWUD community have been practiced it openly. However, they’ve also been diminished by their clients due to their drug use habit.
Methods:
Kwale Network of People Who Use Drugs [KwaNPUD] have been conducting community dialogues with the MSM/MSW and SW who use drugs. These dialogues were conducted at KwaNPUD office where the community found safe to speak their issues.
Results:
78% find themselves having sex with their clients without condom due to high payment, 65% have sex with their clients and not paid due to defamation of the clients, 95% don’t have a safe place of practicing sex work majority do it in bushes, which fuel their clients to take advantage of violation. The MSM/MSW have quit accessing OST due to homophobic and some prefer expressing their orientation in prison which expose to infections since there’s no provision of condom and lubricants in Kenyan prisons. Others can’t access important services like anal screening in PWID DICES and for MSM DICEs they are suspected with stealing.
Conclusions:
Due to high level of stigma, discrimination and homophobic environment majority suffer in silent when it comes to expression of sexual orientation. The SW who are PWID suffer in the hands of their clients since they take their drug use habit as a weak point of blackmail. There’s need for an integration of advocacy support that cut across intersectionality and establishment of intersectional clinic.