Background
Multiple
concurrent sexual relationships are one of the major challenges to HIV
prevention in Tanzania. This study aims to explore sexual behaviour patterns
including the practice of multiple concurrent sexual partnerships in a rural
Tanzanian setting.
Methods
This
qualitative study used focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with men
and women from the community as well as ethnographic participant observations.
The data was collected during 16 months of fieldwork in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
The focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were transcribed verbatim
and translated into English. The data was analysed through the process of
latent content analysis. An open coding coding process was applied to create
categories and assign themes.
Findings
Mafiga matatu was an expression used in this society to
describe women’s multiple concurrent sexual partners, usually three partners,
which was described as a way to ensure social and financial security for their
families as well as to achieve sexual pleasure. Adolescent initiation
ceremonies initiated and conducted by grand mothers taught young women why and
how to engage successfully in multiple concurrent sexual relationships. Some
men expressed support for their female partners to behave according to mafiga
matatu, while other men were hesitant around this behaviour. Our
findings indicate that having multiple concurrent sexual partners is common and
a normative behaviour in this setting. Economical factors and sexual pleasure
were identified as drivers and viewed as legitimate reason for women to have
multiple concurrent sexual partnerships.
Conclusions
Structural changes improving women’s financial
opportunities and increasing gender equality will be important to enable women
to not depend on multiple concurrent sexual partnerships for financial
security. Future research should explore how normative sexual behaviour changes
as these structural changes take place.
Below: Description of the mafiga
matatu system of a married woman, from 29 to 32 years of age. The
figure illustrates the structure of mafiga matatu, a wife balancing
on top of the husband or steady partner and two lovers.
Full article at: http://goo.gl/UvxOvx
By:
Abela Mpobela Agnarson, Susanne Strömdahl, Anna Ekéus
Thorson
Department of Public Health
Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Francis Levira, Honorati Masanja
Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania
More at: https://twitter.com/hiv_insight
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