11–13Įvidence suggests, however, that WSW around the globe are, in fact, at risk for negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including HIV and STIs. 8–10 Lack of research on WSW in comparison to heterosexual men and women, as well as MSM, in general, can be attributed to perceived lower-risk of HIV infection or STIs among WSW. 1–7 Data on HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission in Kenya have included only MSM and heterosexuals. To date, available public health literature on gays and lesbians in Kenya has focused exclusively on men who have sex with men (MSM) to the exclusion of WSW. S tudies of women who have sex with women (WSW) in Africa are rare and in Kenya they are nonexistent. Therefore, this study indicates a need to incorporate WSW's health concerns within Kenyan national health policy programming. Some WSW actively exercise their agency in making important health decisions. Some women noted that they were open with their doctors about their sexual orientation, and that their doctors had not reacted negatively to this information.Ĭonclusion: WSW in Kenya are at risk for negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including HIV, STIs, unplanned pregnancy, and unsafe abortion, positioning these women as a critical population for public health efforts. Of the women who reported having been tested for HIV, 9.4% (7.5% of the total sample) received a positive test result. Results: A significant proportion of participants reported that they had at least one male sexual partner in the past three years (38.9%), ever had an abortion (13.2%), been infected with at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past three years (33.9%), and been tested for HIV at least once (88.9%). Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 280 women who were at least 18 years old, had at least one female sexual partner in the past three years, and were Kenyan residents. This study presents the first findings on Kenyan WSW's sexual and reproductive health. Although the last decade has shown an upsurge of health-related research studies in African sexual minority populations, these studies have generally concentrated on the health status of men who have sex with men to the exclusion of WSW. Purpose: To describe sexual and reproductive health characteristics of women who have sex with women (WSW) in Kenya's three most populous cities: Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nairobi.