Volume 19 - Article 53 | Pages 1811–1830
Polygyny and HIV in Malawi
| Date received: | 07 May 2007 |
| Date published: | 10 Oct 2008 |
| Word count: | 3728 |
| Keywords: | HIV/AIDS, Malawi, marriage, polygyny, sexual behavior, sub-Saharan Africa, widowhood |
| DOI: | 10.4054/DemRes.2008.19.53 |
Abstract
We review the relationship between polygyny and HIV and identify a positive individual-level correlation, and a negative ecological correlation. We subsequently examine two mechanisms that contribute to the individual-level correlation. First, we find that men in polygynous marriages have more extramarital sex than men in monogamous unions (both in terms of self reports and in terms of spousal reports of the suspicion of adultery). Second, we find evidence of adverse selection of HIV positive women into polygynous unions via an investigation of the relationship between marriage order and polygyny status. We conclude with reflections about possible explanations for the distinct individual and ecological correlations.
Author's Affiliation
Georges Reniers - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
Rania Tfaily - Carleton University, Canada
Other articles by the same author/authors in Demographic Research
»
Knowledge, risk perceptions, and behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi
Volume 44 - Article 20
»
Age patterns of under-5 mortality in sub-Saharan Africa during 1990‒2018: A comparison of estimates from demographic surveillance with full birth histories and the historic record
Volume 44 - Article 18
»
Sexual networks, partnership mixing, and the female-to-male ratio of HIV infections in generalized epidemics: An agent-based simulation study
Volume 33 - Article 15
»
An Assessment of the KDICP and MDICP Data Quality: Interviewer Effects, Question Reliability and Sample Attrition
Special Collection 1 - Article 2
»
Divorce and Remarriage in Rural Malawi
Special Collection 1 - Article 6
Most recent similar articles in Demographic Research
»
Physical attractiveness and women’s HIV risk in rural Malawi
Volume 37 - Article 10 | Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Malawi, sexual behavior, sub-Saharan Africa
»
Sexual networks, partnership mixing, and the female-to-male ratio of HIV infections in generalized epidemics: An agent-based simulation study
Volume 33 - Article 15 | Keywords: HIV/AIDS, marriage, sexual behavior, sub-Saharan Africa
»
When the group encourages extramarital sex: Difficulties in HIV/AIDS prevention in rural Malawi
Volume 28 - Article 30 | Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Malawi, marriage, sub-Saharan Africa
»
An inquiry into the uneven distribution of women’s HIV infection in rural Malawi
Volume 25 - Article 28 | Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Malawi, marriage, sub-Saharan Africa
»
Why are they worried? Concern about AIDS in rural Malawi
Special Collection 1 - Article 9 | Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Malawi, sexual behavior, sub-Saharan Africa
Articles
Citations
Cited References: 36
»View the references of this article
Download to Citation Manager
Similar Articles
PubMed
Google Scholar