‘Sex for a fare’ bodas threaten Uganda’s fight against Aids
June 9, 2021 Boda boda riders and their passengers in Kampala
Uganda’s motorcycle taxis riders threaten to derail the country’s fight against HIV because of risky sexual behaviours, including sex with clients in lieu of payment, according to a new study.
At least 12% of a sample of 281 commercial riders, a common informal job known as boda boda and dominated by young men, admitted to engaging in transactional sex with customers who failed to pay their fares; 65.7% reported having had sex with more than one partner in the past 12 months; and 23% had had multiple partners in the same period, with 57.1% reporting that they did not use a condom at all in the six months prior to the survey, conducted by Makerere University College of Education and External Studies (CEES).
"I always thought that research is for academics.being involved in this study right from identifying a relevant research question to synthesizing findings for policy makers, I am finding the research useful for me too." – EPI implementer (vaccinator)
"The most successful national responses to COVID-19 have been those which have engaged with local communities to build resilient health systems and inform service delivery, decision-making and governance to meet the needs of communities."
Joshka Wessels is a documentary filmmaker and Senior Lecturer in Communication for Development at the School of Arts and Communication (K3), Faculty of Culture and Society.
Background The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world s largest humanitarian organization, with 192 member National Societies.