Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Dec;11(3):44-61.

Prevalence and meanings of exchange of money or gifts for sex in unmarried adolescent sexual relationships in sub-Saharan Africa

Ann M Moore  1 , Ann E Biddlecom, Eliya M Zulu
Affiliations

Prevalence and meanings of exchange of money or gifts for sex in unmarried adolescent sexual relationships in sub-Saharan Africa

Ann M Moore et al. Afr J Reprod Health. 2007 Dec.

Abstract

Using national survey data collected in 2004 in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda with 12-19 year olds, we examine the prevalence of sex in exchange for money or gifts in the 12 months prior to the survey and its association with adolescents' social and economic vulnerability and condom use. Receiving something in exchange for sex is very common among sexually active, unmarried female adolescents and there are no significant differences by household economic status, orphan status, level of schooling completed or age difference between partners. Condom use at last sex in the 12 months prior to the survey is not associated with receiving gifts or money. Qualitative data based on focus group discussions and in-depth interviews collected in 2003 with adolescents suggest that receiving money or gifts for sex is not necessarily a coercive force, but rather can be a routine aspect of dating.

Keywords: adolescents; condom use; transactional sex.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Luke N. Confronting the “Sugar Daddy” Stereotype: Age and economic asymmetries and risky sexual behavior in urban Kenya. International Family Planning Perspectives. 2005;31(1):6–14. - PubMed
    1. UNAIDS. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and World Health Organization, AIDS Epidemic Update. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2006.
    1. Shah I, Ahman E. Age patterns of unsafe abortion in developing country regions. Reproductive Health Matters. 2004;12(24 Supplement):9–17. - PubMed
    1. Luke N, Kurz KM. Cross-generational and transactional sexual relations in Sub-Saharan Africa: Prevalence of Behavior and Implications for Negotiating Safer Sexual Practices. Washington, D.C.: International Center for Research on Women, Population Services International; 2002. Research Paper Series.
    1. Silberschmidt M, Rasch V. Adolescent girls, illegal abortions and “sugar daddies” in Dar es Salaam: Vulnerable victims and active social agents. Social Science and Medicine. 2001;52:1815–1826. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources