Mobility, sexual networks and exchange among bodabodamen in southwest Uganda
Loading...
Date
2004
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care
Abstract
In order to examine the sexual behaviour of a highly mobile social group, qualitative data
and quantitative data were elicited from 212 private motorbike taxi-men, locally called
bodabodamen, from two study sites in Masaka, Uganda. Selection criteria were availability
and willingness to participate in the study. Research techniques employed were a
questionnaire, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and case studies. Findings
indicate that bodabodamen are a highly mobile group who engage in frequent seasonal
rural-urban migration. Consequent to this, bodabodamen have a wide network of both
occasional and regular sexual partnerships. Both serial and concurrent multiple partnerships
are with adults, youths, widows, students, sugar-mummies, barmaids, commercial
sex workers, tailors. Exchange plays a significant role in sexual negotiations but the act of
giving to a sexual partner is ambivalent in its social interpretation. Since bodabodamen have
regular access to cash, they have higher bargaining power for sex. Implications for HIV/
AIDS prevention are discussed.
Description
Keywords
Mobility, sexual networks, bodabodamen, southwest Uganda
Citation
Stella Nyanzi , Barbara Nyanzi , Bessie Kalina & Robert Pool (2004) Mobility, sexual networks and exchange among bodabodamen in southwest Uganda , Culture, Health & Sexuality: An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care, 6:3, 239-254, DOI: 10.1080/13691050310001658208