Revisiting the economics of transactional sex: evidence from Tanzania

Abstract

Transactional sex has been identified as one of the key structural drivers of the HIV epidemic. Mainstream economic analyses of this practice primarily conceptualise transactional sex in the language of rational choice, with the focus on behavioural decisions that women make over whether to engage in transactional interactions (or not). However, whilst providing some important insights in relation to the role of poverty and the importance of acknowledging that women are more than passive agents, these approaches fail to address the social and economic complexities of this practice that are reflected in the broader literature. Further, due to the technical framework used, there is a failure to deal with the broader socio-economic and historical underpinnings of this practice. Using evidence from fieldwork undertaken in Tanzania, the authors revisit the economics of transactional sex, and offer an alternative economic approach to understanding this practice. They explore the notion that transactional sex is an established local sexual norm, and how this norm is creatively applied and reapplied in a range of situations by different actors, including through participation in local value chains. Their analysis has a number of implications for future prevention efforts that differ from the current focus on microfinance as a means of empowering women.

[Revisiter l’économie du sexe transactionnel : témoignage de Tanzanie.] Le sexe transactionnel a été identifié comme un des facteurs structurels clés de l’épidémie du VIH. Les analyses économiques orthodoxes de cette pratique conceptualisent en premier lieu le sexe transactionnel dans le langage du choix rationnel, en se concentrant sur les décisions comportementales que les femmes prennent quant à leur engagement dans des interactions transactionnelles (ou non). Cependant, alors que ces approches fournissent des éclairages intéressants sur le rôle de la pauvreté et l’importance de reconnaitre que les femmes sont plus que des agents passifs, elles ne traitent pas les complexités sociales et économiques de cette pratique qui sont reflétées dans la littérature plus large. Par ailleurs, en raison du cadre technique utilisé, il n’existe pas d’analyse des fondations socio-économiques et historiques plus larges de cette pratique. Sur base d’un travail de terrain en Tanzanie, les auteurs revisitent l’économie du sexe transactionnel et offrent une approche économique alternative pour comprendre cette pratique. Ils explorent la notion selon laquelle le sexe transactionnel est une norme sexuelle locale établie, et la manière dont cette norme est appliquée et réappliquée de manière créative dans une série de situations par des acteurs différents, notamment à travers la participation dans les chaines de valeur locales. Leur analyse comporte un certain nombre d’implications pour les efforts futurs en matière de prévention qui diffèrent de l’accent mis actuellement sur la micro finance comme un moyen d’émancipation des femmes.

Mots-clés:

• VIH/SIDA
• sexe transactionnel
• facteurs structurels
• Tanzanie

Keywords:

• HIV/AIDS
• transactional sex
• structural drivers
• Tanzania

Acknowledgements

The qualitative evidence presented originates from research conducted in northern Tanzania, funded by Bloomsbury colleges and the London International Development Centre. The fieldwork was conducted by and with the support of the National Institute of Medical Research Tanzania, Mark Urassa, Ray Nsigaye, Lucas Boniface, Penina Samwell, Grace Bulugu, Mathius Shimo, Joyce Chuwa and Mpyanjo Chagu.

Notes on contributors

Kevin Deane is a development economist based at the University of Northampton, UK. He has a PhD in Economics from SOAS, University of London, UK. His research draws on Economics, Development Studies, Public Health and Epidemiology with application to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Joyce Wamoyi is a Social and Behavioural Research scientist at the National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania. She has an MSc in Public Health and a PhD in Social and Behavioural Sciences and has worked on various health research topic areas for over 16 years. She has vast experience in: adolescents and young people's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviour; HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment uptake; gender and sexuality; socio-cultural aspects of HIV and sexually transmitted infections in general; parenting/families and child outcomes; stigma and discrimination in adolescent access to SRH services; malaria in pregnancy; and qualitative and participatory research methods.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Local small fish.

2 For a full discussion of the role of research assistants in this setting, see Deane and Stevano (2015).

3 Rice cakes.

4 Lubambo is a customary institution which formalises extra-marital relationships. See Merten and Haller (2007) for a detailed discussion of the meaning of lubambo.