Transactional Sex
HIV/AIDs were discovered in the world in the 1980s with some five young homosexuals. This was not before other complicated, strange diseases begun to be reported in the United States and later termed Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDs). It was not until 1986 after other cases were reported that the virus causingAIDs was discovered and termed Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV)(Calvin & Robin 2010). This paper discusses the social-economic and gender implications of transactional, age-disparate and concurrent sexual relations and how they are causing the spread of HIV/AIDs.
Transactional sex is a non-marital relationship and is common in old with young, especially young girls and older men where the man becomes the provider, and the woman offers sex in exchange. The current world also has an alarming rate of college going young men entering transactional sex with older women who are wealthy and can provide for them in exchange for sex(Sovran, 2013). This type of relationship has no connection between the two individuals involved as it is only meant for a period and can include multiple partners who are looking for sexual favors in exchange of gift and money (Piece & Women, 2012). It is equally as prostitution and the only difference being the person expecting gift or money favors has no predetermined exchange value. Transactional sex relation is a risk behavior of acquiring HIV/AIDS since it involves multiple partners not responsible for their actions and is not limited to having intimate with only a particular group of people(“Transactional and Age Disparate Sex in Hyperendemic Countries,” 2018)
According to a study, young girls than boys aged between 15-24 are more infected due to engaging in sex with older men with families for a gift in exchange for sex mostly in Uganda. The prevalence of HIV in young people in Uganda according to the study is 2.7% of young men and 6.2% of women who were sexually active (Higgins, Hoffman & Dworkin,2010).
Age-disparate sex relation is similar to transactional sex relation, but the difference is that this type may be more intimate than the transactional kind of sex. Here young women engage in sex or marital relationship with men older than them by years or so. It may be for the exchange of money or for acquiring marital status (Choudhry, Ambresin, Nyakato & Agardh, 2015).
This has also been said to cause the intergenerational spread of HIV/AIDS as ladies engaging in sex with older men too will have intimate relations with their peers who are men. Young men (boyfriends) are likely to get infected in this case. Young women prefer this kind of relationship for financial gain and in addition to the belief they have that older man are more mature, experienced emotionally and financially stable than men in their peer age comfortable (“Transactional and Age Disparate Sex in Hyperendemic Countries”, 2018)They also feel more protected and secure in these relationships. This has mostly been identified in Sub-Saharan Africa. The assumption that women are likely to die faster than men due to their low life expectancy is the primary trigger of this phenomena in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Age-Disparate Sex
Multiple concurrent sexual relations may be referred to as those sexual relationships with two or more sexual partners who are likely to overlap. This is influenced by individuals’ concurrent behavior or partners’ concurrent behavior. Either way, this is too dangerous for the acquisition of HIV/AIDS even with one partner who is engaging in parallel relations (Leclerc-Madlala, Simbayi & Cloete,2009).An individual who is not involved in concurrent sexual behavior but unknowingly or knowingly engages a concurrent partner is likely to acquire HIV/AIDS and is not any different with those who are in multiple concurrent relations. This can happen in a marital status where a man may have more than one partner (polygamy) who might be having other relationships outside marriage hence there is a high likelihood of all acquiring the disease if only one partner engages in a concurrent relationship. This instance can cause arm in more people at one given time (ILO, 2002).
Sexual relationships in the place of work have many implications for both social and economic and as well as gender. For instance, men who engage in multiple concurrent sexual relationships in place of work may get infected with HIV/AIDS and spread to their partners in their polygamous families (Asthana, 2018). In the case where the husband dies or needs a lot of care while sick, women may be burdened with providing care and as well increasing production. In this case, women and young girls may be forced to give in pressures of sexual relationship to get financial favors(“Gender inequality and HIV,” 2018)
There is the likelihood of losing skilled labor as people who are highly skilled may die of the disease creating a deficiency in the production sector. Employers also suffer significant losses on training recruits as they try to replace those dead without forgetting losses on insurance for their employees. AIDS has no cure, and its’ treatment is expensive and not affordable to the majority. According to ILO, more than 25 million people who are in the age bracket 15-45 and who are very active are living with HIV which is a big blow to the labor force. Increased absenteeism is also likely to result as people with HIV are weak due to other opportunistic diseases and may not come to work every day. When these happen low productivity is experienced hence profit decreases, low demand also will affect the workplaces as there are no people to buy the products and this may cause many people to lose jobs.
Multiple Concurrent Sexual Relations
There is also the implication of sex relationships on gender as a result of gender differences between men and women. Women and men have different roles they play, and these roles are likely to disadvantage women to be more vulnerable (Asthana, 2018). For instance, women commercial sex workers face a high risk of acquiring HIV infection as sometimes they face difficult convincing a client to use a condom during the act. With the fear that the client may get annoyed and find another willing to provide the service without a condom, they risk doing it without the condom. This will put a woman at high risks of the disease.
In countries where commercial sex is a criminal offense, women may be mistreated and find no help or someone to defend them from violence. Lack of financial muscle disadvantages many women as they are unable to secure health education on reproductive health services that help protect themselves or manage the disease for those with the infection (Leiter, 2007). Many girls are forced to withdraw from their studies in many traditional sets up to help with family chores and generate income. This disadvantages women as they lack time to chase after opportunities to improve their living standards, education and develop their competence due to high loads of care assigned to them(Leiter, 2007).
Conclusion
A clear direction has to be sought to refocus the energy on fighting HIV and AIDS pandemic in both African countries and another continent. It is clear that due to the small opportunities for women to present themselves to better their lives, the spread of HIV has slightly remained high despite the governments trying to fight the pandemic. Young girls should be allowed to complete their studies and chase after available opportunities. There is a need for women participation in family matters, decision making on sexual relationships such as the use of a condom during sex and dictate the married they feel comfortable in. Men should be taught the importance of involving women in matters of sexual relations, and women empowerment leads on the list of HIV/AIDS reduction in the world today. Women need more educational opportunities, access to medical education, social participation and just like men should be given equal opportunities to acquire financial freedom.
References
Piece, T. T., & Women, U. N. (2012). Addressing inequalities: The heart of the post-2015 agenda and the future we want for all.https://www.un.org/milleniumgoals/pdf/Think%20Pieces/10_inequalities.pdf
Asthana, A. (2018). Africa’s fatal sexual culture spreads Aids’. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jun/19/hearafrica05.aids
Calvin, C.J., & Robin, S. (2010). HIV/AIDS in South Africa 25 Years On, Psychological Perspectives
Leiter, K. (2007). An epidemic of inequality: women’s rights and HIV/AIDS in Botswana and Swaziland. An evidence-based report on the effects of gender inequity stigma and discrimination.https://www1.essex.ac.uk/armedcon/story_id/botswana-Swaziland-report.pdf
Gender inequality and HIV. (2018). Avert. Retrieved from https://www.avert.org/professionals/social-issues/gender-inequality
ILO, I. (2002). the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work.https://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/ilo/2003/103B09_46_engl.pdf
Higgins, J. A., Hoffman, S., & Dworkin, S. L. (2010). Rethinking gender, heterosexual men, and women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. American journal of public health, 100(3), 435-445.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2820057/pdf/435.pdf
Leclerc-Madlala, S., Simbayi, L. C., & Cloete, A. (2009). The socio-cultural aspects of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. In HIV/AIDS in South Africa 25 Years On (pp. 13-25). Springer, New York, NY.https://www.health24.com/Medical/HIV-AIDS/The-South-African-culture/Sociocultural-aspects-of-HIVAIDS-20120721
Transactional and Age Disparate Sex in Hyperendemic Countries. (2018). AIDSFree. Retrieved 6 April 2018, from https://aidsfree.usaid.gov/resources/pkb/behavioral/transactional-and-age-disparate-sex-hyperendemic-countries
Choudhry, V., Ambresin, A. E., Nyakato, V. N., & Agardh, A. (2015). Transactional sex and HIV risks–evidence from a cross-sectional national survey among young people in Uganda. Global health action, 8(1), 27249.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4441731/
Sovran, S. (2013). Understanding culture and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. SAHARA: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance, 10(1), 32-41https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3914501/
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