Robinson, JonathanYeh, Ethan2012-03-192012-03-192011-02-01https://hdl.handle.net/10986/3348Why do women engage in transactional sex? While much of the explanation is that sex-for-money pays more than other jobs, this paper uses a unique panel dataset constructed from 192 self-reported diaries of sex workers in Western Kenya to show that women who supply transactional sex develop relationships with regular clients, and that these clients send transfers in response to negative income shocks. Regular clients are the primary source of inter-person insurance that women receive, and women report in a separate survey that client transfers are an important reason that they participate in the market.CC BY 3.0 IGOAGE DISTRIBUTIONAGEDANAL SEXBOYFRIENDSBROTHELSCOMMERCIAL SEXCOMMERCIAL SEX WORKCOMPENSATIONCONDOMCONDOM USEDEVELOPING COUNTRIESDEVELOPMENT POLICYEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTEMERGENCIESFAMILY MEMBERSFEMALEFEMALE SEX WORKERSHEALTH CONSEQUENCESHEALTH INSURANCEHIGH-RISKHIVHIV POSITIVEHIV/AIDSHOMEHUMAN DEVELOPMENTHUSBANDHUSBANDSILLITERATE WOMANILLITERATE WOMENILLNESSILLNESSESINCOME SECURITYINFECTIONSINFECTIOUS DISEASEINTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNINGINTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING PERSPECTIVESLABOR MARKETLABOR SUPPLYLITERACYLOW-INCOME COUNTRIESMALARIAMARITAL STATUSMEDICINEMIGRATIONMINISTRY OF HEALTHMULTIPLE PARTNERSNUMBER OF WOMENORAL SEXPEER EDUCATORPEER EDUCATORSPEER GROUPPEER GROUPSPOLICY DISCUSSIONSPOLICY IMPLICATIONSPOLICY RESEARCHPOLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPERPOLITICAL INSTABILITYPOPULATION AND DEVELOPMENTPOPULATION CENSUSPROGRESSPROSTITUTESPROSTITUTIONPSYCHIATRYPUBLIC HEALTHREGULAR UNPROTECTED SEXRURAL POPULATIONSAFE SEXSAFETY NETSSEXSEX PARTNERSSEX WORKSEX WORKERSEX WORKERSSEXUAL ACTIVITIESSEXUAL ACTIVITYSEXUAL BEHAVIORSEXUAL ENCOUNTERSEXUAL PARTNERSSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPSSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONSSPOUSESSPREAD OF AIDSUNPROTECTED SEXUNPROTECTED SEX ACTSVAGINAL SEXVULNERABILITYWILLWOMANYOUNG WOMENWorld Bank10.1596/1813-9450-5582