“Women trade sex from women in Tanzania”: findings from qualitative formative research with women who have sex with women in Dar-es- Salaam City

Abstract

Recent studies indicate women are increasingly willing to pay for sex from both men and women.
Most of these studies have mainly focused on the developed world and little is known about women’s
willingness, reasons, and motivation to pay for sex on the African continent, the East African region and
in Tanzania, in particular. We explored paid sex behaviors and practices among women who have sex
with women (WSW) in Dar-es-Salaam city, Tanzania. The study was designed as a formative qualitative
cross-sectional study conducted in Ilala, Kinondoni and Temeke districts in Dar-es-Salaam region. Study
participants included community leaders; and WSW aged 18 years and above, who had had engaged
in same-sex sex in the past year or in same-sex relationship(s), and had knowledge of WSW’s lived
experiences, among other criteria. Most of the WSW participants affirmed paid sex is a common practice
among them with reported reasons and motivations being more-or-less similar to those documented in
other parts of the world. Findings show that commercial sex is an arena for behavioral convergences,
and this calls for new pathways to comprehend (women’s) behavior, sexuality, commercial sex industry
and its implications to women’s sexual and reproductive health and healthcare.