People living with low libido and other sexual function disorders should receive tax relief, specialised treatment under the Social Health Authority (SHA) and workplace support because the condition affects their ability to work and live normally, petitioner Dr Benson Kibore has said.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Tuesday, Dr Kibore said many people continue to suffer in silence because of the stigma attached to sexual dysfunction, leaving countless patients without medical care despite the condition affecting their relationships, mental wellbeing and productivity.
He said the country should move beyond treating sexual dysfunction as a private issue and instead recognise it as a health condition that deserves policy support, medical care and legal protection.
Among the proposals he put forward are tax exemptions for affected individuals, specialised healthcare packages under SHA, national clinical guidelines on diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation services, employment support and a nationwide assessment to establish the true number of people living with the condition.
Dr Kibore argued that reduced productivity caused by the condition should qualify affected individuals for tax relief under existing legal provisions.
"You need to have an exemption because your productivity level is down. So it means you have to have a reprieve in terms of how a normal person pays. There is a provision in law that you need a waiver by KRA, so that you are paying, actually, up to 150,000 shillings is not taxed."
He also said people living with sexual function impairments should benefit from employment opportunities reserved for individuals with impairments, noting that many continue to face discrimination even though the condition affects their ability to function normally.
Dr Kibore said society has accepted sexual dysfunction as something people should simply live with instead of recognising it as a medical condition that requires treatment.
"We have normalised that abnormality. The awareness will help deal with the stigma because when it is known that you have this particular condition, there are all those ramifications and repercussions, and that's why men would actually die with it."
He maintained that better awareness would encourage more people to seek medical help instead of hiding their condition or turning to self-medication.
According to Dr Kibore, treatment for sexual dysfunction should be fully integrated into SHA so that patients can access specialist care, proper assessment and follow-up treatment without facing financial barriers.
"We are going to have packages within SHA that provide for the actual treatment. We need to develop a national clinical guideline on screening, diagnosis, management and importantly rehabilitation, because once I have known to have this problem, then what do I do? I need to have a medical redress such that I'm able to function normally within society."
He explained that sexual dysfunction can result from different causes, including genetics, hypertension, diabetes, mental health conditions and other illnesses. He added that some cases can be reversed if identified early and managed appropriately.
Dr Kibore also urged health authorities to treat sexual dysfunction as an early indicator of other non-communicable diseases, saying timely screening could help detect underlying medical conditions before they become more serious.
He further called on the Ministry of Health to carry out a nationwide assessment to establish the extent of the problem, saying available studies are limited and may not reflect the true number of affected people because many are unwilling to come forward due to fear of stigma and embarrassment.