JOHANNESBURG – Nearly 6% of sexually active young South African women have been involved in so-called “blesser” relationships, exposing them to significantly higher risks of HIV infection, pregnancy and intimate partner violence, according to the first national study of its kind.
The research, published this week in The Conversation, draws on data from over 3,000 adolescent girls and young women across eight provinces and reveals the severe health consequences of transactional relationships in which older, wealthier men provide money, gifts or lifestyle access in exchange for sex.
“While blesser relationships may offer short-term rewards, the long-term consequences for health and wellbeing are severe,” wrote Gavin George, a researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Health Economics and HIV and AIDS Research Division.
The study found that young women in blesser relationships faced multiple interconnected risks that “all interact and reinforce one another within contexts of inequality and limited agency.”
More than a quarter of participants reported being in age-disparate relationships with partners five or more years older, with age disparity emerging as a key driver of adverse outcomes, particularly pregnancy.
Power Imbalances Prevent Safe Sex Negotiation
The research identified several pathways through which blesser relationships expose young women to harm, including reduced ability to negotiate condom use due to financial dependence.
“When he says no condom, I can’t say no to him,” one participant told researchers, illustrating how power imbalances leave young women with limited control over sexual decision-making.
The health disparities are stark. HIV prevalence among young South African women aged 15-24 stands at 6.9%, compared to 3.5% among males of the same age. In 2023, 12.1% of all births were to girls aged 10-19, with more than three-quarters unplanned.
‘A Blesser Gives With One Hand and Takes With the Other’
George’s team also conducted qualitative research revealing the psychological journey many young women experience. While some initially described feeling empowered by access to resources and social status, disillusionment typically followed.
“At first, I felt like I had made it – nice clothes, nice places,” one respondent said. “Eventually I realised it wasn’t really me who was in control.”
Another participant summarised the dynamic more bluntly: “A blesser gives with one hand and takes with the other.”
Economic dependence often traps young women even when relationships become unsafe. “I wanted to leave, but then who would pay my fees?” one young woman explained.
Rooted in Inequality and Unemployment
George emphasised that blesser relationships reflect South Africa’s broader structural challenges rather than individual moral failings. South Africa ranks as the most unequal country in the world, with particularly high unemployment and poverty rates among young people.
“The blesser phenomenon is not a moral failing,” George wrote. “No young woman should be forced to choose between short-term security and long-term wellbeing.”
The research calls for urgent action on multiple fronts: comprehensive sexual health education addressing power dynamics, expanded economic opportunities to reduce financial dependence, safe spaces and mentoring programmes, and community engagement to challenge harmful gender norms.
“The real challenge lies in creating alternatives: secure livelihoods, equitable partnerships and supportive communities,” George concluded.
