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Sugar Daddies & Garden Boys: Relationships that increase infection risk for adolescents
Galen Bertozzi, HealthDev.net
August 10, 2008

http://healthdev.net/site/post.php?s=3293

Since the beginning of HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns, studies have shown that having concurrent partners increases the chances of HIV infection. A 2006 survey conducted in Zimbabwe by PSI showed that 33% of men and 29% of women have more than one "regular partner". Today, transactional sex has become a big issue in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Sadly, adolescents and young adults are taking part in various forms of transactional sex, resulting in higher risk of HIV exposure, explained Wellington Mushayi at the 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

The term sugar daddy is often used to designate older men who have sex with adolescent girls in return for a specific personal benefit, usually money. However, it is also common that these girls trade sex with their sugar daddy for basic needs such as food or clothing. These relationships are rarely based on mutual love or affection; they wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the money.

In a different context, adolescent boys who have sex with older women are referred to as garden boys. The term originated precisely from adolescent boys who tended to household gardens. This kind of transactional sex is not typically in exchange for money, unlike with sugar daddies. Garden boys are more likely to use transactional sex to improve their status and gain sexual experience - so garden boys are often happy to provide the service.

According to Wellington Mushayi, author of a study on heterosexual concurrent partnerships in Zimbabwe, "from the qualitative study we can confidently say that these situations are very common although actual numbers and percentages cannot be drawn without a quantitative study". Mushayi believes his study can be generalized to sub-Saharan Africa and hopes he will be able to give precise numbers in September, when an ongoing quantitative study in the region is completed.

The same study also found that older men who seek a relationship with a younger girl do so primarily because the girls are willing to provide what their wives don't, for a relatively low cost. On the other hand, older married women claim to seek a relationship with a garden boy because their husbands are not around or do not give them the sexual attention they need.

During these kinds of sexual relationships, HIV exposure and infection risk is dramatically increased due to the fact that condoms are infrequently used. "During sexual intercourse there is low or no condom use," said Mushayi, "Although these relationships are traditionally informal, they can last for a relatively long period of time and a sense of trust and commitment is present." Also, elder partners have greater power and thus control over the younger, taking advantage of their position to insist on not using a condom. They don't feel at risk of contracting HIV from their young partner because the latter is sexually inexperienced and is unlikely to have been infected.

Sadly, the opposite is true for adolescents, who are at greater risk of infection because their older partners have had many more opportunities to be exposed to the virus.

Let's hope that there is increased awareness about these high risk behaviors, in order to protect young boys and girls from exploitative relationships.

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