Abstract
Young women who sell sex (YWSS) are at disproportionate risk of HIV. Reducing YWSS' vulnerability requires engaging their male sexual partners. To achieve this, we need to understand the characteristics and dynamics of their sexual partnerships to inform effective interventions. We conducted a mixed-methods study to compare YWSS' qualitative descriptions of male partners with categories reported in a behavioral survey. Data were drawn from enrollment into an evaluation of the DREAMS initiative in Zimbabwe in 2017. As part of a respondent-driven sampling survey, we recruited 40 seed participants from 2 intervention and 4 comparison sites. We conducted semistructured interviews with 19 "seeds," followed by a behavioral survey with 2387 YWSS. We interpreted quantitative and qualitative data together to understand how YWSS perceived male sexual partners, assess how well survey variables related to narrative descriptions, and describe patterns of risk behavior within partnerships. Qualitative data suggest survey categories "husband" and "client" reflect YWSS' perceptions but "regular partner/boyfriend" and "casual partner" do not. In interviews, use of the term "boyfriend" was common, describing diverse relationships with mixed emotional and financial benefits. More than 85% of male partners provided money to YWSS, but women were less likely to report condomless sex with clients than regular partners (11% vs 37%) and more likely to report condomless sex with partners who ever forced them to have sex (37% vs 21%). Reducing HIV risk among YWSS requires prevention messages and tools that recognize diverse and changing vulnerability within and between sexual relationships with different male partners.
Highlights
Young women who sell sex (YWSS) are at disproportionate risk of HIV.E Reducing YWSS’ vulnerability requires engaging their male sexual partners
Data were drawn from enrolment into an evaluation of the DREAMS initiative in Zimbabwe in 2017
HIV incidence in Southern Africa remains concentrated among adolescent girls and young
Summary
Young women who sell sex (YWSS) are at disproportionate risk of HIV. E Reducing YWSS’ vulnerability requires engaging their male sexual partners. We need to understand the characteristics and dynamics of their sexual partnerships to inform. Young women who sell sex (YWSS) have high risk of acquiring HIV [2, 3] due to high number of partners, difficulties negotiating condom use,. HIV prevention interventions for YWSS target “upstream” determinants of. P vulnerability, offering education subsidies or cash transfers designed to lessen dependence on sexual relationships [12, 13]. E Mentored and Safe) Partnership provided a combined package of skills-building and C entrepreneurial opportunities, social protection and sexual and reproductive health services in.
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More From: Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999)
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