Robert Ouko, the lead researcher in a survey conducted among youths in Mbita says 62 per cent of young males in the area give sexual favors to widows and divorcees.
This men he says, do this in exchange for money and other gifts.
“Some of the young men admitted to being involved with Widows and single older women because of poor economic situations,” said Ouko.
Ouko’s revelations comes from a study conducted by County Youth Adolescent Network (CYAN) a Community Based Organization (CBO) in Homa bay county.
RHAY conference
The study utilized a sample size of 129 of youth aged 18 to 24 years.
This report has revealed that there is urgent need to engage adolescent and young people in socio economic empowerment activities to help reduce this worrying trend which puts them at high risk of contracting HIV and even spreading it
Robert Ouko
78 per cent of girls admitted to willfully being part of the worrying trend.
This findings were presented in the 2022 Reducing HIV in Adolescent and Young People (RHAY) Conference.
The four day conference in Kisumu aims at providing effective socio economic empowerment to the youth and adolescent in the area.
Sex Workers
The study further revealed that 58 per cent of the female sex workers in the study population had two or more casual sex partners who did not pay.
Ouko says the trend now calls for the need and importance of empowering the youth to be financially independent so as to all in all avoid engaging in risky sexual behaviors.
“This report has revealed that there is urgent need to engage adolescent and young people in socio economic empowerment activities to help reduce this worrying trend which puts them at high risk of contracting HIV and even spreading it,” Ouko added.
The research is one among many done by young people engaged in the RHAY conference which seeks to empower and involve young people in all matters pertaining to their well being.
The event brought together young people from mainly the Sub-Saharan African countries.