Learning Lab 42: What do we mean when we say transactional sex?

Abstract

Transactional sex is an important driver of the HIV epidemic, but one that is difficult to operationalise and measure. This study used cultural consensus modelling, a measurement approach borrowed from cultural anthropology, to identify three distinct models of transactional sex in Swaziland: A rural model composed of slightly older women with slightly lower education An urban model predominated by relatively well educated women A model primarily practiced by university students The cultural consensus model process resulted in a weighted scale that could be used to measure the degree to which a clinic-based sample of women participated in each of the three models. This webinar discusses how the study found that the social acceptability of the model had important ramifications for what strategy women used to protect themselves from HIV within their relationship