This study explores the perceptions and the sexual practices of young men and women in post colonial and post socialist Mozambique, specifically in Maputo city. Using a combination of various qualitative methods, the study performs an in-depth analysis of stable relationships called namoro. The namoro relationships, where people preferably engage in non-protected sex (no condom use) - "real sex" are exchanged by the declaration of love and the proposal for a serious commitment from the young man to the young woman. Therefore, there is a gift exchange system which, in this study, is analyzed under the theoretical framework of the gift of Marcel Mauss (1969). However, since a great part of the young people in this study practice serial monogamy and due to the existence of occasional partners with whom protected sex is not always practiced, there are potential risks to STIs and HIV/Aids infection. Thus, the exchange of sex for love is translated into a very dangerous gift, as it puts the health and the lives of these youngsters at risk.
Sex; young people; stable relationships (namoro); HIV/Aids; Mozambique