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Table 2 Sexual act terminology used on the streets by street-connected children and youth in Eldoret, Kenya

From: “Once you join the streets you will have to do it”: sexual practices of street children and youth in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Sexual Behaviour

Language used on the street

Context on the streets

Heterosexual partners

Mapenzi, Ngono

“The only sex acceptable is for a girl and a man and it is called ‘mapenzi’” (Male, 15)

MSM

Mashoga, Mamende, Mameda

“We say ‘kumendana’ or ‘mashoga’” (Female, 17)

WSW

Semenya, Mang’aa, Shoga wamama, Wamama wa kupigana mafinger, Menda

“‘Shoga wamama’ If the women are found doing sex among themselves” (Male, 18)

Vaginal Intercourse

Wanapasuana deki, kutombana/kutombwa, kudinyana/kudinya, kupigwa maji/kupigana maji, kupasuana kibwenye, kurwakana, kubinjwa/kubinjana, kutiana, kumangana, kuguzana ololo, kurepiana, kupigwa stiki, -, kuingizwa

“A boy and a girl? They can call it, but mostly they call it ‘Kutombana’; that is the name” (Male, 17 years)

Anal Intercourse (MSM), typically forced sex

Kukumenda/kumendana matako/menda, kupigana miti kwa matako, kukonorana/kupigana mabuti, kupigana mzigo ya nyuma, kufira nyuma, kurepiana, kutombwa nyuma

“‘kumendana’?…a man forces a boy to give him the buttocks” (Male, FGD 11-13)

Anal Intercourse (heterosexual)

Kumenda, kufirana

Kumenda is used when making reference to the penis being inserted into the female anus

Kufirana is used when the male or female fingers are inserted into the female anus

Oral Sex (fellatio)

Kudara, kupapasa, Kunyonya deki

“That goes on because that is their love, so you will find a woman ‘ananyonya deki’” (Barracks Leader)

Oral sex (cunninglingus)

analamba kae’ ‘anamyonya matiti’, kudara

“Or you find a man ‘analamba kae’ ‘anamyonya matiti’” (Barracks Leader)

Rape (Vaginal)

Kubambwa, kubakwa, mada, muhadhara, kunajisi, kupigwa ngeo, kubinjwa

“We call it ‘mada’ because it is like exhausting someone.” (Male, 15)

Male Masturbation

Mashushumen, shushumeni, kujipiga binto, Kujidara

“It happens to those who don’t know how to seduce a girl. They do that, ‘kujipiga binto’” (Male, FGD 18-24)

Female Masturbation

Kujipiga doli, wanajirusha dole, mtu anajimanga peke yake

“There are others who do that. ‘wanajirusha dole’ Or ‘mtu anajimanga peke yake’ Which means a person doing sex alone.” (Female, 17 years)

Transactional sex

Kupeana kuma, Malaya, kujiuza

“‘kujiuza’ means you have come from maybe barracks, you have come to paradise or clubs, you have come to look for money because you money is what talks these days..You are broke and so you just go there, so that is what we call ‘kujiuza’” (Male, 17)

Gang rape

Kollabo, kombi, kupiga mzigo rende ya watu wengi, kupigwa mzigo na majeshi, raping, kumuangukia

“‘wanakupiga kombi’ and when you accept you are okay…They do a combination on you…they make a queue for you…base members, very big men” (Female, FGD, 14-17)