23 - Surviving on the Streets: Sexuality and HIV/Aids among Male Street Youth in Dessie, Ethiopia
Corresponding Author(s) : Getnet Tadele
CODESRIA Bulletin,
No. 02-03-04 (2003): CODESRIA Bulletin, Nos 2, 3 & 4, 2003
Abstract
The increasing number of street children is one of the most serious social problems facing Ethiopia today. As many as 200,000 children may be living on the streets. Studies in other countries have shown the importance of understanding sexual attitudes and behaviour among street children, particularly with regard to HIV/Aids. However in Ethiopia almost all studies of adolescent sexuality and HIV/Aids have been conducted among high school and college students. Out-of-school and street children, who are much less accessible, have been neglected. This study in Dessie, a provin-cial town in Ethiopia, is part of the research for an ongoing PhD project titled ‘Ethnography of Sex: An Exploration of the Socio-economic and Cultural Context of Sexuality and HIV/Aids among Ethiopian Youth’. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) with a total of 30 street children, as well as numerous informal talks and discussions, were conducted during the fieldwork period between October 2001 and February 2002. The study reveals the importance of understanding young people’s sexual behaviour not as a matter of isolated, individual risk-taking, but as aspects of collective behaviour deeply embedded in their way of life.
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- Carballo, M., and Kenya, P., 1994, ‘Behavioural Issues and Aids’, in Essex et al., eds., Aids in Africa. New York: Raven Press.
- Day, S., 1988, ‘Prostitute Women and Aids: Anthropology’, Aids, Vol. 2, pp. 421-428.
- Fantahun, M., and Chala F., 1996), Sexual Behaviour, and Knowledge and Attitude towards HIV/Aids among Out of School Youth in Bahir Dar Town, Northwest Ethiopia, Ethiopian Medical Journal, Vol. 34, pp. 233-42.
- Farmer, P., 1992, Aids and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame, Los Angeles: Uni-versity of California Press.
- Farmer, P., 1999, Infections and Inequalities: The modern Plagues. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
- Gil, V. E., Wang, M. S., Anderson, A. F., Guo, M. L., and Zongjian, O. W., 1996, ‘Prostitutes, Prostitution and STD/HIV Transmission in Mainland China’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 42. No. 1, pp. 141-152.
- Irwin K., Bertrand J., and Ndilu M., (1991) ‘Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about HIV Infection and Aids among Healthy Factory Workers and their Wives in Kinshasa, Zaire’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 32, No. 8, pp. 917-930.
- Jackson, H., 1992, Aids: Action Now. Informa-tion, Prevention and Support in Zimbabwe. Harare (unpublished report).
- Kane, S. C., 1993, Prostitution and the Military: Planning Aids Intervention in Belize. Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 36, No. 7, pp. 965-979.
- Ministry of Education and Culture (Zimbabwe) and UNICEF, 1993, A Report on Focus Group Discus-sions with Out of School Youth on Perceptions and Strategies for Communicating About Aids, Unpublished Report.
- Murray, A., and Robinson, T., 1996, ‘Minding your Peers and Queers: Female Sex Workers in the Aids Discourse in Australia and South-eastAsia’, Gender, Place and Culture, Vol. 3, No. 1,pp. 43-59.
- Neequaye, A., 1990, ‘Prostitution in Accra’, in Plant, M. A. ed., Aids, Drugs and Prostitution, London: Routledge.
- Peracca, S., Knodel, J., and Saengtienchai,.C., 1998, ‘Can Prostitutes Marry? Thai Attitudes toward Female Sex Workers’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 255-267.
- Raffaelli et al., 1993, ‘Sexual Practices and Attitu-des of Street Youth in Belo Horizonte, Brazil’, So-cial Science and Medicine, Vol. 37. No. 5, pp. 661-670.
- Richens, J., 1994, ‘Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Children in Developing Countries’, Genitourinary Medicine, Vol. 70, No. 4, pp. 278-283.
- Ruiz, J., 1994, ‘Street Youth in Colombia: Lifestyle, Attitudes and Knowledge of Aids’, Health Promotion Exchange, Vol. 1, pp. 12-14.
- Schoepf, B. G., 1995, ‘Culture, Sex Research and Aids Prevention in Africa’, in Brummelhuis, H., and Herdt, G. eds., Culture and Sexual risk: Anthropological Perspectives on Aids, Amster-dam: Gordon and Breach.
- Scambler, G., and Graham-Smith, R., 1992, ‘Female Prostitution and Aids: The Realities of Social Exclusion’, in Aggleton et al, eds., Aids: Rights, Risk and Reason, London: The Falmer Press.
- Setel, P. W., 1999. A Plague of Paradoxes: Aids, Culture and Demography in Northern Tanzania, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
- Standing, H., 1992, ‘Aids: Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Researching Sexual Behavior in sub-Saharan Africa’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 475-483.
- Swart-Kruger, J., and Richter, L. M., 1997, ‘Aids-related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior among South African Street Youth: Reflections on Power, Sexuality and the Autonomous Self’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 45, No. 6, pp. 957-966.
- Sturdevant, P. S., and Stoltzfus, B., 1992, ‘Dis-parate Threads of the Whole: An Interpretive Essay’, in Sturdevant, P. S., and Stoltzfus, B., eds., Let the Good Times Roll. Prostitution and the U.S. Military in Asia, New York: The New Press.
- Taffa, N., 1998, Sexual Activity of Out-of-School Youth, and Their Knowledge and Attitude about STDs and HIV/Aids in Southern Ethiopia, Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 17-22.
- Tale, A., 1995, ‘Bar Workers at the Border’, in Keep et al., eds. Young People at Risk: Fighting Aids in Northern Tanzania. Oslo: Scandinavian University Press.
- Veal, A. and Adefrisew, A., 1993, Study on Street Children in Four Selected Towns of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa: Unpublished research report.
- UNAIDS, 1999, Sex and Youth: Contextual Fac-tors Affecting Risk for HIV/Aids: A Comparative Analysis of Multi-site Studies in Developing Countries, Geneva: UNAIDS.
- Ward, H., and Day, S., 1997, ‘Health Care and Regulation: New Perspective’, in Scambler, G., and Scambler, A., eds., Rethinking Prostitution: Purchasing Sex in the 1990s. London: Routledge.
References
Carballo, M., and Kenya, P., 1994, ‘Behavioural Issues and Aids’, in Essex et al., eds., Aids in Africa. New York: Raven Press.
Day, S., 1988, ‘Prostitute Women and Aids: Anthropology’, Aids, Vol. 2, pp. 421-428.
Fantahun, M., and Chala F., 1996), Sexual Behaviour, and Knowledge and Attitude towards HIV/Aids among Out of School Youth in Bahir Dar Town, Northwest Ethiopia, Ethiopian Medical Journal, Vol. 34, pp. 233-42.
Farmer, P., 1992, Aids and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame, Los Angeles: Uni-versity of California Press.
Farmer, P., 1999, Infections and Inequalities: The modern Plagues. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Gil, V. E., Wang, M. S., Anderson, A. F., Guo, M. L., and Zongjian, O. W., 1996, ‘Prostitutes, Prostitution and STD/HIV Transmission in Mainland China’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 42. No. 1, pp. 141-152.
Irwin K., Bertrand J., and Ndilu M., (1991) ‘Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about HIV Infection and Aids among Healthy Factory Workers and their Wives in Kinshasa, Zaire’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 32, No. 8, pp. 917-930.
Jackson, H., 1992, Aids: Action Now. Informa-tion, Prevention and Support in Zimbabwe. Harare (unpublished report).
Kane, S. C., 1993, Prostitution and the Military: Planning Aids Intervention in Belize. Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 36, No. 7, pp. 965-979.
Ministry of Education and Culture (Zimbabwe) and UNICEF, 1993, A Report on Focus Group Discus-sions with Out of School Youth on Perceptions and Strategies for Communicating About Aids, Unpublished Report.
Murray, A., and Robinson, T., 1996, ‘Minding your Peers and Queers: Female Sex Workers in the Aids Discourse in Australia and South-eastAsia’, Gender, Place and Culture, Vol. 3, No. 1,pp. 43-59.
Neequaye, A., 1990, ‘Prostitution in Accra’, in Plant, M. A. ed., Aids, Drugs and Prostitution, London: Routledge.
Peracca, S., Knodel, J., and Saengtienchai,.C., 1998, ‘Can Prostitutes Marry? Thai Attitudes toward Female Sex Workers’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 255-267.
Raffaelli et al., 1993, ‘Sexual Practices and Attitu-des of Street Youth in Belo Horizonte, Brazil’, So-cial Science and Medicine, Vol. 37. No. 5, pp. 661-670.
Richens, J., 1994, ‘Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Children in Developing Countries’, Genitourinary Medicine, Vol. 70, No. 4, pp. 278-283.
Ruiz, J., 1994, ‘Street Youth in Colombia: Lifestyle, Attitudes and Knowledge of Aids’, Health Promotion Exchange, Vol. 1, pp. 12-14.
Schoepf, B. G., 1995, ‘Culture, Sex Research and Aids Prevention in Africa’, in Brummelhuis, H., and Herdt, G. eds., Culture and Sexual risk: Anthropological Perspectives on Aids, Amster-dam: Gordon and Breach.
Scambler, G., and Graham-Smith, R., 1992, ‘Female Prostitution and Aids: The Realities of Social Exclusion’, in Aggleton et al, eds., Aids: Rights, Risk and Reason, London: The Falmer Press.
Setel, P. W., 1999. A Plague of Paradoxes: Aids, Culture and Demography in Northern Tanzania, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Standing, H., 1992, ‘Aids: Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Researching Sexual Behavior in sub-Saharan Africa’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 475-483.
Swart-Kruger, J., and Richter, L. M., 1997, ‘Aids-related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior among South African Street Youth: Reflections on Power, Sexuality and the Autonomous Self’, Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 45, No. 6, pp. 957-966.
Sturdevant, P. S., and Stoltzfus, B., 1992, ‘Dis-parate Threads of the Whole: An Interpretive Essay’, in Sturdevant, P. S., and Stoltzfus, B., eds., Let the Good Times Roll. Prostitution and the U.S. Military in Asia, New York: The New Press.
Taffa, N., 1998, Sexual Activity of Out-of-School Youth, and Their Knowledge and Attitude about STDs and HIV/Aids in Southern Ethiopia, Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 17-22.
Tale, A., 1995, ‘Bar Workers at the Border’, in Keep et al., eds. Young People at Risk: Fighting Aids in Northern Tanzania. Oslo: Scandinavian University Press.
Veal, A. and Adefrisew, A., 1993, Study on Street Children in Four Selected Towns of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa: Unpublished research report.
UNAIDS, 1999, Sex and Youth: Contextual Fac-tors Affecting Risk for HIV/Aids: A Comparative Analysis of Multi-site Studies in Developing Countries, Geneva: UNAIDS.
Ward, H., and Day, S., 1997, ‘Health Care and Regulation: New Perspective’, in Scambler, G., and Scambler, A., eds., Rethinking Prostitution: Purchasing Sex in the 1990s. London: Routledge.