Socio-demographic, Behavioral and Health Characteristics of Underage Female Sex Workers in Mozambique: The Need to Protect a Generation from HIV Risk

• Published in: AIDS and behavior Vol. 19; no. 12; pp. 2184 - 2193
• Main Authors: Inguane, Celso, Horth, Roberta Z., Miranda, Angélica E., Young, Peter W., Sathane, Isabel, Cummings, Beverley E., Augusto, Ângelo, Raymond, Henry F., Mcfarland, Willi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.12.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adolescent; Adults; AIDS; Child; Demographics; Female; Health; Health Behavior; Health Psychology; Health risks; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mozambique - epidemiology; Original Paper; Prevalence; Prevention; Prostitution; Public Health; Risk; Sex; Sex industry; Sex Work; Sex Workers; Sexual behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sociodemographics; STD; Unsafe Sex; Urban areas; Women; Workers; Mozambique; Mozambique, Maputo; Prevention; Mozambique; FSW; HIV; Underage
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-015-1068-0

Characteristics, HIV risk, and program coverage for underage female sex workers (FSW) are rarely systematically described worldwide. We compared characteristics of underage (15–17 years old) and adult (≥18 years old) FSW in three main urban areas of Mozambique (Maputo, Beira and Nampula) using data from three respondent-driven sampling surveys implemented in 2011–2012. Among survey participants, 9.8 % (39/400) in Maputo, 17.0 % (70/411) in Beira and 25.6 % (110/429) in Nampula were underage. Over half reported performing sex work to afford daily living, and 29.7–50.0 % had unprotected sex with their last client. The proportion of underage FSW having accessed care and prevention services was lower compared to adult FSW. While HIV prevalence among underage FSW was lower than in adults, it increased markedly with age. Our results point to the urgency of expanding prevention and care programs geared towards underage FSW.