Social Context, Sexual Risk Perceptions and Stigma: HIV Vulnerability Among Male Sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya

This chapter aims to enhance understanding of the dynamics of male-to-male sexual activities within the context of commercial sex in Kenya and to guide configuration of targeted HIV prevention services. The law in Kenya criminalises same-sex sexual activity, making it difficult for HIV prevention programmes to fully address male sex work. According to Plummer, male-to-male sexual experience can be classified within four categories: casual homosexuality, situational homosexuality, personalised homosexuality and homosexuality as a way of life. To reduce HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission in male sex work settings in Mombasa, results from the quantitative and qualitative study were analysed and used to inform the development of health interventions. In Mombasa, targeted interventions that take into account the diverse motivations, socio-economic backgrounds, solicitation patterns and sexual behaviours of male sex workers are also recommended