Polygyny and HIV in Malawi

Rania Tfaily, Carleton University

We review HIV infection rates among individuals in monogamous and polygynous marriages in Malawi and disentangle the process that leads to higher HIV prevalence in polygynous than in monogamous unions. We are particularly interested in two processes: first we assess whether men and women in polygynous unions more often engage in risky sexual behavior, and secondly we evaluate the selection of HIV positive women into polygynous unions.