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New Kenyan Made Lube For Gay Men, MSMs Glide, a new locally made personal lubricant is set to hit the K e n y a n market and it is aimed particularly at the LGBTI market, is set to launch in Nairobi soon. Personal lubricant, or lube, is a specialized product used during sexual acts such as intercourse and masturbation to reduce friction with the vagina, anus, penis or other body parts. Lube can also be used for medical purposes. Behind The Mask’s Arcus Correspondent in Nairobi, Melissa Wainaina, spoke to Angus Parkinson about Glide. Angus has been an active supporter of the LGBTI rights movement in Kenya since 2005 when he initiated the first formal HIV and sexual health programmes for gay, bi and other MSM at Liverpool VCT in Nairobi. Whilst working with LVCT, he also established the first toll-free, confidential, peer-to-peer youth sexuality hotline, ‘One-2One’, and a comprehensive HIV programme for male prisoners. Since 2008, he has been working independently and has supported the work of the GALCK, the Elton John Aids Foundation (UK), UHAI (EASHRI), amfAR, and the UNDP, amongst others. He is a qualified nurse and holds an LLM from the University of Keele.
Please, tell us a bit about GLIDE and its history to where it is now. Glide is a 100% condom-safe, non-toxic, non-sticky, water-based lubricant made in Kenya. It's been in development for almost two years and having just received approval from the Kenya Bureau of Standards, we've begun providing samples to local NGOs and CBOs. The need for a locally produced waterbased lube has been apparent to all of us working with gay, bi and other MSM since HIV programmes started (for us
and by us) some 5 years ago in Nairobi. We were telling guys ‘You must use water-based lubes with condoms when having anal sex’ but in reality, whilst condoms were available, affordable waterbased lubes weren't, so organizations, such as Liverpool VCT, were spending large amounts of money importing lubes from South Africa and the UK. Conversations then began about creating a local lube. A Nairobi based cosmetics producer, EPCC, began 'experimenting' with various formulations, packaging and so on until we hit on formula number 7! Longlasting, non-sticky and pleasant smelling! Thus, Glide was born! Whilst I've personally taken the lead on this project, in truth this is essentially a community initiative - the community recognized the need early on and pushed for a local solution. What quantity does it come in? How much is the product? Is it cheaper than other imported lubes? Glide is currently packaged in sachets containing 12ml; more than the imported sachets. Each sachet costs slightly less than 0.1 US$; so with the added volume and no import duty or shipping/ freight costs, it makes Glide the cheapest lube on the market!! And of course we'll be doing lots of special 'first time order' offers, bulk-order offers and so on. In your opinion, what impact does Glide have especially in grassroots MSM initiatives? How can they access it?
Further, using the existing distribution channels that our manufacturer has, we'll be able to reach all of Kenya - and beyond - not just the cities. Right now, Glide is only accessible through the manufacturer. However, we'll be working on collaborative relationships with organization GALCK, Liverpool VCT and hopefully the National AIDS Control Council to ensure Glide gets to those who need it. Do you seek to gain entry into the mainstream market with the product? Absolutely! As mentioned, our manufacturer already has existing distribution channels all through Kenya - into the main supermarkets as well as smaller retailers. We'll be using these distribution channels as much as possible. There is talk of a launch? Any details on that? Are there samples? Indeed! We were hoping to hold an official launch party just before World AIDS Day on December 1st, 2011. However, we're now aiming for the end of January! Currently, there are a small number of samples available at GALCK, the SASA clinic and LVCT in Nairobi. Organizations based in East Africa can get hold of free samples by emailing me directly. Samples will be made available during the ICASA pre-conference and conference in Addis through a Glide ambassador. Requests for samples, costing, orders and any other information can be sent to me directly on glidekenya@gmail.com—MELISSA WAINAINA First published in Behind The Mask
I believe Glide will have a massive impact on grass-roots gay, bi and other MSM initiatives. We're able to produce up to 10,000 sachets per day and a very affordable price. This means even very small groups and organizations will be able to procure Glide for their clients and members.