Résumé
We use a cohort of female sex workers in Senegal to show how large anticipated economic shocks lead to increased risky sexual behaviour. Exploiting the exogenous timing of interviews, we study the effect of Tabaski, the most important Islamic festival celebrated in Senegal, in which most households purchase an animal for sacrifice. Condom use, measured robustly via the list experiment, falls by between 27.3pp (65.5%) and 43.1pp (22.7%) in the 9 days before Tabaski, or a maximum of 49.5pp (76%) in the week block preceding Tabaski. The evidence suggests the economic pressures from Tabaski are key to driving the behaviour change observed in the context that condomless sex commands a price premium. Those most exposed to the economic pressure from Tabaski were unlikely to be using condoms at all in the week before the festival. Our findings show that Tabaski leads to increased risky behaviours for female sex workers, a key population at high risk of HIV infection, for at least one week every year and has implications for FSWs in all countries celebrating Tabaski or similar festivals. Because of the scale, frequency, and size of the behavioural response to shocks of this type, policy should be carefully designed to protect vulnerable women against anticipated shocks.
Cust, H., Lepine, A., Treibich, C. , Powell-Jackson, T., Radice, R.
10.1002/hec.4756