And then I became a prostitute … Some aspects of prostitution and brothel prostitutes in Dakar, Senegal

Abstract

In the framework of a research undertaken to study the role of clients of brothel prostitutes in the spread of HIV in Dakar, Senegal, prostitutes working in several sectors of prostitution (street, bar, hotels, etc.), provided information about their life and about how they became prostitutes through opened interviews. Information was also obtained by observation of the brothels during the fieldwork with clients. This paper describes some characteristics of prostitution in brothels and prostitutes in Dakar, Senegal. This research shows that young African women are vulnerable to HIV infection because sexual relations with men are an important means to achieve social and economic status, and for some women they are necessary for survival. These data show that Senegalese prostitutes, because of their high HIV prevalence, represent a reservoir of HIV infection and a core group for HIV transmission into Senegalese society. This suggests that in spite of information and free condoms, a number of prostitutes engage in unprotected sex. Clandestine and minor prostitutes are at major risk because they are not targeted for condom interventions. Pockets of non-utilization of condoms were found in some geographic areas (brothels) of Dakar and merit local interventions.