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Cited by 51Sex work and related issuesAdolescent Sexual and Reproductive HealthHIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 28 of the 28 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

"It’s all about making a life": poverty, HIV, violence, and other vulnerabilities faced by young female sex workers in Kumasi, Ghana

Onyango, Monica Adhiambo, Adu-Sarkodie, Yaw, Agyarko-Poku, Thomas, Asafo, Mabel Kissiwah, Sylvester, Joy, Wondergem, Peter, Green, Kimberly, Wambugu, Samuel, Brennan, Alana T., Beard, Jennifer·2015·JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
DOI 10.1097/qai.0000000000000455
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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify social, economic, structural, and individual-level vulnerabilities of female adolescents who sell sex in Kumasi, Ghana. METHODS: Twenty-four in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions were conducted with female sex workers of age 18-20 years who had been involved in sex work for at least 2 years. Total sample size was 48. FINDINGS: One-third of participants started sex work before age 15. Knowledge of HIV was accurate and most reported having intentions to use condoms consistently with clients; however, factors such as higher payments, drug and/or alcohol use, fear of violence, and police harassment affected condom use. They perceived violence and rape at the hands of clients as their greatest risk. They also reported abuse and exploitation by police. Respondents voiced strong concerns that girls and teens involved in sex work are at higher risk of unsafe sex, exploitation, and abuse than their older and more experienced counterparts. Unprotected sex with boyfriends was also common. DISCUSSION: The pathway to sex work followed a similar pattern for many study participants who left their rural homes for Kumasi in search of economic opportunity. While adolescents who sell sex appear to be abundant in Kumasi, they have been missed by HIV prevention and harm reduction programming. The findings from this study informed the design and implementation of a young female sex worker peer educator pilot program. Key elements of that program are presented, and recommendations for future program evaluation are made.

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Crossref · 10.1097/qai.0000000000000455

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Metadata

Authors
Onyango, M. A., Adu-Sarkodie, Y., Agyarko-Poku, T., Asafo, M. K., Sylvester, J., Wondergem, P., Green, K., Wambugu, S., Brennan, A. T., & Beard, J.
Affiliations
  • Boston University (US)
  • Ghana Health Service (GH)
  • United States Agency for International Development (US)
Corresponding author
  • Onyango, Monica Adhiambo
  • Beard, Jennifer
ORCID
Venue
JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2015-03-01
Volume
68
Issue
Supplement 2
Pages
S131-S137
ISSN
1525-4135 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/qai.0000000000000455
OpenAlex
W1997532375
Cited by
51
References
28
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2
FWCI
17.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Sex work and related issues
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
Keywords
female sex workers, HIV prevention, condom use, sexual violence, police harassment, exploitation, harm reduction, peer education, Kumasi, rural-urban migration
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Female, Ghana, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Poverty, Rape, Risk Factors, Sexual Partners, Violence, HIV Infections, Focus Groups, Unsafe Sex, Young Adult, Sex Workers

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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).

Semantic Scholar’s data is described in: Kinney, R., et al. (2023). The Semantic Scholar Open Data Platform. arXiv:2301.10140.