The Association of Food Security Status with Transactional Sex Engagement Among Female Adolescents Aged 15-24: Evidence from Cameroon.

Abstract

Transactional sex has been identified as a risk factor for HIV acquisition. While studies have investigated the various factors associated with transactional sex among women, its association with food security status in sub-Saharan African countries remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, we utilized data from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey and applied multivariate logit models to examine the relationship between food security status and engagement in transactional sex among unmarried adolescent girls and young women in Cameroon. Our results indicated that unmarried adolescent girls and young women (aged 15-24 years) experiencing moderate (OR = 3.00, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 1.66, 5.42) and severe (OR = 3.33, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 1.82, 6.11) food insecurity were more likely to engage in transactional sex in the previous 12 months before the DHS survey was conducted, compared to those without any experience of food insecurity. Based on these findings, we propose several implications for policymakers and offer directions for future research.