title: Transactional sex among youths in post-conflict Liberia.
abstract: This paper presents findings on sexual risk behaviours of Liberian youths based on five focus-group discussions conducted with 6th and 7th graders (n = 36) attending an elementary/middle school in Monrovia, Liberia. The purpose of the focus-group discussions was to gain an understanding of the sexual behaviours of in-school Liberian adolescents. The focus-group discussions were part of a larger study to adapt an evidence-based HIV-prevention intervention-Making Proud Choices!-for in-school youths. Post-conflict conditions were discussed as a contributor to the emergence of high-risk sexual behaviours, including transactional sex, sexual violence, and lack of condom-use. Transactional sex was often described by the focus-group participants as occurring between young females and older, more financially-secure males to obtain cash, food, clothing, western commodities, and school-fees and was often encouraged by parents and promoted by peers. The findings also indicate that female adolescents make choices to engage in transactional sex to gain access to a continuum of material and consumer needs. These findings suggest that individual risk-taking behaviours are nested within complex sexual economies and that HIV-prevention interventions should be considered that leverage females' agency and control.
authors: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Louisville Center, 1300 S Fourth Street, Suite 300, Louisville, KY 40208, USA. katwood@PIRE.org
authors: Katharine A
authors: KA
authors: Atwood
authors: Stephen B
authors: SB
authors: Kennedy
authors: Ernlee M
authors: EM
authors: Barbu
authors: Wede
authors: W
authors: Nagbe
authors: Wede
authors: W
authors: Seekey
authors: Prince
authors: P
authors: Sirleaf
authors: Oretha
authors: O
authors: Perry
authors: Roland B
authors: RB
authors: Martin
authors: Fred
authors: F
authors: Sosu
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