Abstract
The “blesser and blessee” phenomenon has been prominent in South African media since the year 2016. This is a form of transactional sex in which older rich men (“blessers”) tend to entice young women (“blessees”) with money and expensive gifts in exchange for sexual favors. In most cases, these older men are married men who secretly engage in extramarital affairs with these young women. In this light, there have been many debates on whether transactional sex should be equated to prostitution or sex work. However, many researchers argue that both practices at the end of the day are proven to be equally high-risk sexual behaviors for HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to explore and describe perceptions and experiences of young women regarding factors that influence their susceptibility to transactional sex and the risk of HIV infection in rural South Africa. Twelve young women aged 18 to 30 years participated in two focus group discussions and 12 individual in-depth interviews. The findings of the study revealed that there are sociobehavioral, sociocultural, and socioeconomic factors that influence the susceptibility of young women to transactional sex and HIV risk. The study concluded that it was imperative for researchers to explore the context and motivation for transactional sex among young women in sub-Saharan Africa to be able to develop and implement appropriate and relevant HIV prevention interventions for this vulnerable population.
Highlights
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is widely known as the epicenter of the HIV epidemic globally
Young women who live in poverty-stricken communities such as rural areas have an elevated risk of acquiring HIV than other young women who live in affluent communities such as urban areas
This study has found that transactional sex is one of the major driving force of HIV transmission among older men and young women in rural South Africa
Summary
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is widely known as the epicenter of the HIV epidemic globally. In South Africa, where this study was conducted, it is reported that the country is home to the largest number of people living with HIV on a global level (Simelela & Venter, 2014) This is because the country has the fastest growth of HIV prevalence and incidence rates worldwide (Simelela, Pillay, & Serenata, 2016). It was reported that there were approximately 2,000 new HIV infections occurring among adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24 years each week in South Africa, a rate 21⁄2 times that of males of the same age group (Mampane, 2016). HIV prevalence and incidence rates among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa have reached crisis proportions. Research has identified young Black women aged 20 to 34 years as a key population with an HIV prevalence rate which exceeds that of the national average (HSRC, 2012)
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