Polygyny, concurrency, its impact and lack of impact on HIV

Abstract

Evaluation of: Reniers G, Watkins S: Polygyny and the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a case of benign concurrency. AIDS 24, 299–307 (2010). This ecological study aims to understand the role of concurrency on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The results showed a negative association between the prevalence of HIV and polygyny, independently of selected risk factors (e.g., age at sexual debut and extramarital sex). This reflects the potential protective role of this specific form of concurrency, which contrasts with the common understanding that concurrency favors the spread of HIV. More research is needed to understand how different concurrency patterns influence the global network structure, how they are associated with risk practices within partnerships and the motivation underlying concurrency. This is relevant for the design of intervention focusing on concurrency, to maximise impact and minimize the risk of negative compensatory risk behavior. These results illustrate a growing misinterpretation of ear...