Transactional Sex as a Response to Risk in Western Kenya

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Robinson, Jonathan; Yeh, Ethan
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Santa Cruz; The World Bank
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-APPLIED ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7782
• DOI: 10.1257/app.3.1.35
• 发表日期: 2011
• 页码: 35-64
• 关键词: york-city cabdrivers; Sub-Saharan Africa; commercial sex; SOUTH-AFRICA; anal intercourse; field experiment; condom use; consumption; income; aids

摘要

Though formal and informal sex work has long been identified as crucial for the spread of HIV/AIDS, the nature of the sex-for-money inarket remains poorly understood. Using a unique panel dataset constructed from 192 self-reported diaries, we find that women who engage in transactional sex substantially increase their supply of risky, better compensated sex to cope with unexpected health shocks, particularly the illness of another household member These behavioral responses entail significant health risks for these women and their partners, and suggest that these women are unable to cope with risk through other consumption smoothing mechanisms. (JEL I12, J16, O15)