Boys are not exempt: Sexual exploitation of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa

Adjei, Jones; Saewyc, Elizabeth

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.01.001

Cited by 40 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Most studies were from the United States of America (n = 20), followed by Africa (n = 5), Sweden (n = 3), the United Kingdom (n = 2), and Canada (n = 3), with 1 study each from Taiwan, India, Norway, and the Philippines. All 37 articles 5 , 6 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 35 , 38 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 were categorized in the high-quality range, with a mean (SD) study quality score of 8.4 (0.7) (see Table 1 and eTables 2 and 3 in the Supplement ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…evaluated each article, scoring them separately using a 9-point critical appraisal assessment tool adapted from Madigan et al 40 (2018), based on previous meta-analytic research. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 Articles were given a score of 0 (no) or 1 (yes) for each criterion and summed to provide a total score of a possible 9. Higher scores correspond with higher methodological quality and lower risk of bias.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Demographic and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Child Sexual Exploitation

et al. 2020

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Child Sexual Exploitation

et al. 2020

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“…This may skew the results, particularly related to buying condoms or receiving them for free. Male sex workers were not included, therefore this research does not reflect sexual exploitation experiences among boys . The age at which participants acquired HIV is unknown.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

HIV risks and needs related to the Sustainable Development Goals among female sex workers who were commercially sexually exploited as children in Lesotho

et al. 2018

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IntroductionSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) about gender equality; decent work; and peace, justice, and strong institutions include a focus on eradicating trafficking and sexual exploitation of and violence against women and children. In Lesotho, 86% of women have experienced gender‐based violence. In addition, overall HIV prevalence is among the highest globally, and higher among adolescent girls than boys. Moreover, nearly three quarters of female sex workers (FSW) are estimated to be living with HIV in Lesotho. In this context, sexually exploited children may be particularly vulnerable to violence and HIV acquisition risks. This study's objective is to examine the prevalence and correlates of experiencing sexual exploitation as a child among FSW in Lesotho.Methods FSW (≥18 years) recruited through respondent‐driven sampling in Maseru and Maputsoe from February to September 2014 completed HIV and syphilis testing and an interviewer‐administered survey, including a question about the age at which they started providing sex for money. This study examined correlates of experiencing sexual exploitation as a child (<18 years) through multivariable logistic regression analyses for each city, controlling for current age.ResultsAcross both cities, 20.0% (142/710) of participants were sexually exploited as children. Among them, 65.5% (93/142) tested positive for HIV and 31.0% (44/142) for syphilis, which was similar to those who started selling sex as adults, after adjusting for current age. Participants who experienced child sexual exploitation were more likely to have been forced to have sex before age 18 than those who started selling sex as adults (Maseru‐adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.52, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.61 to 7.66, p = 0.002; Maputsoe‐aOR: 4.39, 95% CI: 1.22 to 15.75, p = 0.023). In Maseru, participants who were sexually exploited as children were more likely to avoid carrying condoms to prevent trouble with police (aOR: 3.18, 95% CI: 1.50 to 6.75, p = 0.003).ConclusionsRisk determinants for HIV and violence among sexually exploited children can be studied retrospectively through research with adult FSW. Further research working directly with sexually exploited children will improve understanding of their needs. Preventing commercial sexual exploitation of children and addressing the social and healthcare needs of those who are exploited are necessary to fully achieve SDGs 5, 8 and 16 and an AIDS‐Free Generation.

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“…Other studies found that females are usually more likely to engage in transactional sex and, in some instances, are encouraged to engage in transactional sex by their parents in order to contribute to the family's income (Atwood et al, 2011;Okigbo et al, 2014;Tolera et al, 2019). A significant proportion of adolescent boys have also been found to engage in transactional sex (Adjei and Saewyc, 2017;Moore and Biddlecom, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This suggests that it is possible that sexual violence is common in males but due to the lack of focus on sexual violence in males, it has largely gone underreported. Similar to transactional sex, it may be that males are suffering in silence, especially given the culture of masculinity in many African countries where men are not allowed to complain or show any signs of weakness (Adjei and Saewyc, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risky sexual behaviors and substance use among youths in post-conflict Liberia

Ogundare¹,

Ghebrehiwet²,

Harris³

et al. 2020

J. Public Health Epidemiol.

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Sexually transmitted infections pose a public health crisis globally and in low and middle-income countries, and substance use has been linked to an increased risk of engaging in risky sexual behaviors among youths. This work aims to explore the relationship between substance use and risky sexual behaviors among school-based youths in Liberia. An 86-question survey was developed to collect information about substance use and sexual behaviors. The survey was validated using qualitative data obtained from focus groups of Liberian youths. 400 students were sampled with a mean age of 18.15 ±2.14 years. Students who use alcohol were 2.4 times more likely to have multiple sexual partners (OR=2.38, CI= 1.06-5.32, p=0.035), 11 times more likely to engage in unwanted sexual activity (OR=10.86, CI=1.36-86.96, p=0.025); marijuana use increased the risk of multiple unintended pregnancies (OR=5.49, CI= 1.37-22.03, p=0.016); users of heroin had 4 times the odds of engaging in unwanted sexual activity (OR=4.18, CI= 1.07-16.37, p=0.039). Substance use increases the risk of engaging in risky sexual behaviors among youths in Liberia. Intervention programs that target individual, community, and societal level determinants are needed to tackle risky sexual behaviors in this population.

show abstract

Boys are not exempt: Sexual exploitation of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 40 publications

References 30 publications

Demographic and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Child Sexual Exploitation

Demographic and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Child Sexual Exploitation

HIV risks and needs related to the Sustainable Development Goals among female sex workers who were commercially sexually exploited as children in Lesotho

Risky sexual behaviors and substance use among youths in post-conflict Liberia

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