Male polygamy is tolerated in Haiti and many Haitian men are not above enforcing this advantage by violence against women.
Fertility is emphasized to a great degree.
In the context of Vodou ceremony, however, there is no appropriate place for sexual relations between initiate and initiator or even between participants in ceremonies while those ceremonies are in progress. Some vicious, exploitative Houngans or Mambos including one or two who are publicly quite well known may do this, but when they do they are acting completely outside the principles of the Vodou tradition. It is never necessary, required or recommended for initiates to have sexual relations with their initiating Mambo or Houngan. During a kanzo ceremony , initiates and clergy are expected to abstain from relations for the duration of the kanzo cycle. Houngans, Mambos and hounsis who will tend the burning zens during the brule zen ceremony are most particularly prohibited from having sexual relations the night before the brule zen .