Socio-demographic, Behavioral and Health Characteristics of Underage Female Sex Workers in Mozambique: The Need to Protect a Generation from HIV Risk

Characteristics, HIV risk, and program coverage for underage female sex workers (FSW) are rarely systematically described worldwide. We compared characteristics of underage (15-17 years old) and adult (≥18 years old) FSW in three main urban areas of Mozambique (Maputo, Beira and Nampula) using data from three respondent-driven sampling surveys implemented in 2011-2012. 

Among survey participants, 9.8 % in Maputo, 17.0 % in Beira and 25.6 % in Nampula were underage. Over half reported performing sex work to afford daily living, and 29.7-50.0 % had unprotected sex with their last client. 

The proportion of underage FSW having accessed care and prevention services was lower compared to adult FSW. While HIV prevalence among underage FSW was lower than in adults, it increased markedly with age. Our results point to the urgency of expanding prevention and care programs geared towards underage FSW.

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By: Inguane C1,2, Horth RZ3, Miranda AE4, Young PW5, Sathane I6, Cummings BE5, Augusto Â7, Raymond HF3, Mcfarland W3.

• 1Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Box 353100, Seattle, WA, 98195-3100, USA. celsoi@uw.edu.
• 2International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), Maputo, Mozambique. celsoi@uw.edu.
• 3Global Health Sciences Department, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA.
• 4Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitória, Espirito Santo, Brazil.
• 5Strategic Information, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Maputo, Mozambique.
• 6International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), Maputo, Mozambique.
• 7Department of Laboratory Platforms, Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Maputo, Mozambique.  

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