Transactional Sex as a Response to Risk in Western Kenya
- (pp. 35-64)
Abstract
Though formal and informal sex work has long been identified as crucial for the spread of HIV/AIDS, the nature of the sex-for-money market remains poorly understood. Using a unique panel dataset constructed from 192 self-reported diaries, we find that women who engage in transactional sex substantially increase their supply of risky, better compensated sex to cope with unexpected health shocks, particularly the illness of another household member. These behavioral responses entail significant health risks for these women and their partners, and suggest that these women are unable to cope with risk through other consumption smoothing mechanisms. (JEL I12, J16, O15)Citation
Robinson, Jonathan, and Ethan Yeh. 2011. "Transactional Sex as a Response to Risk in Western Kenya." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 3 (1): 35-64. DOI: 10.1257/app.3.1.35Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I12 Health Production
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
There are no comments for this article.
Login to Comment