Culture and HIV/AIDS in Africa: promoting reproductive health in light of spouse-sharing practice among the Okun people, Nigeria.
The Okun tribe, numbering about a million persons, accepts sexual relations between men and wives of their male kin. We identified and used features of spouse sharing that affect reproductive health to develop an interactive, community-based intervention. The intervention promoted discussion of spouse sharing as a risk factor in HIV/AIDS transmission, knowledge of AIDS/sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), perception of risk and alternative behaviors to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS. The intervention effects were evaluated using data collected in baseline and follow-up surveys in May 1999 and June 2000 among 1018 sexually active respondents in two sets of Okun communities - one with and the other without intervention. The intervention significantly increased knowledge of HIV/AIDS, perception of risk of contracting the disease and the intention to discontinue spouse sharing in the intervention communities. Those who perceived themselves at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS were more likely to express intention to discontinue spouse sharing (odds ratio 2.87) than those who did not. It was recommended that future community-based interventions to address traditional practices that could transmit HIV/AIDS should address the aspects of the practice that could transmit the disease and actively involve the people to make impact.
Osagbemi
M O
MO
Department of Geography and Planning, University of Jos, Nigeria. popdevt@yahoo.com
Joseph
B
B
Adepetu
A A
AA
Nyong
A O
AO
Jegede
A S
AS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D010379:Peer Group; D044382:Population Groups; D012307:Risk Factors; D021841:Safe Sex; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*