HIV risk rises as climate disasters push African women to sell sex
- Climate crises hit African women's livelihoods
- More women, girls forced into transactional sex
- HIV infection risk higher in young women and girls
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In 2022, the continent was hit by 80 extreme climate-related events. These included the Horn of Africa's worst drought in 40 years and wildfires in Algeria, and resulted in 5,000 deaths and more than $8.5 billion in economic losses.
Aid workers said such disasters resulted in girls dropping out of school to find work, being forced into early marriage, or pushed into sexual exploitation where they have to exchange sex for money, food or water.
"During times of drought and food insecurity, we have seen women and girls resort to risky behaviours to put food on the table," said Zvidzai Maburutse, Oxfam's country director in Zimbabwe.
"This could be by visiting bars for transactional sex, or at boreholes where men will offer to help young women skip long queues or help them use the water pump in exchange for favours."
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