When Social and Personal Norms Collide: Narratives of South African Women Navigating Transactional Sexual Relationships with Blessers
Due to the negative implications of transactional sexual relationships (TSRs) for women’s sexual and reproductive health, studies of social norms in sub-Saharan and South Africa have sought to inform HIV-related risk and interventions in this key population. To date, however, little research has investigated the normative conflicts facing women in African settings when initiating, continuing or abstaining from participation in TSRs. This study investigated conflicts black South African women in KwaZulu-Natal expressed between adhering to social versus personal norms in TSRs with “blessers”—wealthy men who gift women financially or materially—typically in exchange for sex.
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