Transactional Sex as a Response to Risk in Western Kenya

Robinson, Jonathan; Yeh, Ethan

Transactional Sex as a Response to Risk in Western Kenya

Autores

Descripción

Formal and informal commercial sex work is a way of life for many poor women in developing countries. Though sex workers have long been identified as crucial in affecting the spread of HIV/AIDS, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, the nature of sex-for-money transactions remains poorly understood. Using a unique panel dataset constructed from 192 self-reported sex worker diaries which include detailed information on sexual behavior, labor supply, and health shocks, the authors find that sex workers adjust their supply of risky, better compensated sex to cope with unexpected health shocks, exposing themselves to increased risk of HIV infection. In particular, women are 3.1 percent more likely to see a client, 21.2 percent more likely to have anal sex, and 19.1 percent more likely to have unprotected sex on days in which a household member falls ill. Women also increase their supply of risky sex on days after missing work due to symptoms from a sexually transmitted infection. Given that HIV prevalence has been estimated at 9.8 percent in this part of Kenya, these behavioral responses entail significant health risks for sex workers and their partners, and suggest that sex workers are unable to cope with risk through other formal or informal consumption smoothing mechanisms.

Palabras clave

ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, ADOLESCENT, ADOLESCENT GIRLS, AGED, AIDS EPIDEMIC, ALCOHOL, ANAL INTERCOURSE, ANAL SEX, BEHAVIOR CHANGE, BURNS, CHILDHOOD, CLEANLINESS, COMMERCIAL SEX, COMMERCIAL SEX MARKET, COMMERCIAL SEX WORK, COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS, CONDOM, CONDOM DISTRIBUTION, CONDOM USE, CONDOMS, CS, CULTURAL CHANGE, CULTURAL SENSITIVITY, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DIARRHEA, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, EPIDEMIC, EPIDEMIOLOGY, FACT SHEET, FAMILIES, FAMILY BACKGROUND, FAMILY MEMBERS, FAMILY PLANNING, FEMALE, FEMALE SEX WORKERS, FEVER, FEWER WOMEN, FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS, HEALTH CONSEQUENCES, HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, HEALTH RISKS, HETEROSEXUAL TRANSMISSION, HIGH-RISK, HIV, HIV EDUCATION, HIV INFECTION, HIV POSITIVE, HIV PREVENTION, HIV TRANSMISSION, HIV/AIDS, HOUSEHOLD NUMBER, HUMAN CAPITAL, ILLITERATE WOMAN, ILLITERATE WOMEN, ILLNESS, ILLNESSES, INCOME SECURITY, INFECTIONS, INFECTIOUS DISEASE, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INJURIES, INTERCOURSE, INTERVENTION, LABOR SUPPLY, LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH, LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES, MALARIA, MARITAL STATUS, MARRIED WOMEN, MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, MEDICINE, MIGRATION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, MULTIPLE PARTNERS, NATIONAL AIDS, NATIONAL AIDS CONTROL, NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES, NUMBER OF WOMEN, NURSE, ORAL SEX, PEER EDUCATOR, PEER EDUCATORS, PEER GROUP, PEER GROUPS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POOR WOMEN, POORER WOMEN, POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT, POPULATION CENSUS, PREGNANCY, PREVALENCE, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PROGRESS, PROSTITUTES, PROSTITUTION, PSYCHIATRY, PUBLIC HEALTH, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESPECT, RESTAURANTS, RISK FACTORS, RISK OF INFECTION, RISK REDUCTION, RISKY BEHAVIOR, RISKY SEX, RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, RURAL AREAS, RURAL POPULATION, SAFE SEX, SEX, SEX FOR MONEY, SEX INDUSTRY, SEX PARTNERS, SEX WORKER, SEX WORKERS, SEXUAL ACTIVITIES, SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS, SEXUAL PARTNERS, SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTION, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS, SOCIAL SCIENCE, STD, STIS, SYMPTOMS, TEENAGE PREGNANCY, TV, TYPHOID, UNPROTECTED SEX, UNPROTECTED SEX ACTS, VAGINAL SEX, VIOLENCE, VULNERABILITY, WOMAN