Right to Health: Polygyny and De Facto Polygyny may Increase Women’s Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in Tanzania
Authors: Mgomba Fatuma A 
Published: March 2021

The world continues to faced many challenges both social and economic as a result of HIV/AIDS. Women in Tanzania and the world at large are among the most vulnerable population to HIV infection. Some of the communities to this day are starved of the critical information about the scourge as a result of the contradictions which emerge between the national laws (i.e., customary law) and international laws. This study aimed primarily at ascertaining the issues of whether polygynous marriage/small house are perceived to expose married women to the high risk of HIV/AIDS. Simple random sampling technique was used to select rural and urban married men/women, especially among those living in polygamous and monogamous marriages and unmarried women who are in relations with married men (small house) at Lushoto in Tanzania. The study noted that married women are at risk of HIV/AIDS when their husbands practice de facto polygyny. As a result of the legal disparities between international laws and national law (i.e., customary law), polygynous marriage/small house exposes married women to a high risk of HIV/AIDS. The international community needs to come up with a standpoint that compels member nations of different cultural practices to ensure that women are not exposed to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a reality and dissemination of information to all people should be considered a human right regardless of the different cultural practices. To this end, thousands of married women in polygamous and monogamous marriages are at risk of the scourge in Tanzania in particular and the world in general.

The world continues to faced many challenges both social and economic as a result of HIV/AIDS. Women in Tanzania and the world at large are among the most vulnerable population to HIV infection. Some of the communities to this day are starved of the critical information about the scourge as a result of the contradictions which emerge between the national laws (i.e., customary law) and international laws. This study aimed primarily at ascertaining the issues of whether polygynous marriage/small house are perceived to expose married women to the high risk of HIV/AIDS. Simple random sampling technique was used to select rural and urban married men/women, especially among those living in polygamous and monogamous marriages and unmarried women who are in relations with married men (small house) at Lushoto in Tanzania. The study noted that married women are at risk of HIV/AIDS when their husbands practice de facto polygyny. As a result of the legal disparities between international laws and national law (i.e., customary law), polygynous marriage/small house exposes married women to a high risk of HIV/AIDS. The international community needs to come up with a standpoint that compels member nations of different cultural practices to ensure that women are not exposed to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a reality and dissemination of information to all people should be considered a human right regardless of the different cultural practices. To this end, thousands of married women in polygamous and monogamous marriages are at risk of the scourge in Tanzania in particular and the world in general.