Types of Multiple Concurrent Partnerships in Ethiopia As indicated above, having sex with multiple partners at the same time has been identified as a sexual behavior that highly exposes sexually active adolescents and other community members to sexually transmitted infections including HIV. In spite of this, review of the limited literature on sexuality and HIV/AIDS paired with anecdotal information yields that, the most typical forms/types of multiple concurrent partnerships are acknowledged to exist in Ethiopia. These relationships include “main” partner and the “other” (“steady partner” and “side partner”- Wushema, Kimete, Jalala Jalto), transactional sex, polygamy, wife inheritance, concurrent bisexuality and multiple Sexual Partnerships among CSWs (paying and non-paying sexual partners) which will be discussed thoroughly in the following sections. 4.1. “Main” and the partner or the “steady partner” and “side partner” Earlier, concurrent partnerships have been described as an overlapping combination of main partner with others often referred to as mistresses, small houses etc. A “main” or “steady” partner is a wife/husband or girlfriend/boyfriend whom an individual loves or has a commitment to, whereas, “other” or “side” partners refers to ‘secret affairs’ or extra marital affairs, other than one’s committed sexual partner. Most of the time, these “other” partners are kept as a secret and exist to satisfy sexual, material or emotional needs (Strategic Communication Report on MCP, 2009). Below, such kind of relationships involving main/steady and other/side partners are presented among married and non-married partners separately. 4.1.1 Extra-marital Sexual Relationships Extra-marital relationships exist in different forms in Ethiopia and some are socially and culturally accepted depending on ethnic group, location and sex. However, although, this kind of relationships, where an individual have one or more sexual partners in addition to their
them were aware of the risks associated with their behavior. One of the intriguing misconceptions reported by almost all of the participating MSM is that heterosexual sex is the only means of HIV transmission resulting low condom use among them (Ibid). In addition, the other major issues relating to MSM is the secrecy that often surrounds their sexuality. Almost all study participants stressed the importance of keeping their sexuality as a secret from their friends, family and community members at large. Therefore, having a girlfriend or to be in public relationship with women was mentioned by the participants as one method of concealing their sexual orientation towards men. Although they may not be interested in girls, majority of the participants have indicated that they also have girlfriends in order to be in line with the society’s expectation and to be free from social pressures. Similar to this, UNAIDS in 2005 has also reported that a large percentage of men having sex with men worldwide are also married and having sex with women as well (Ibid). Men having sex with men (with low condom use) who also have sexual relationships with women thus create a dense sexual network favorable to the spread of the virus. Condom Use and Norms around Condom Use For people who are sexually active, consistent and correct condom use is one of the most effective methods of protections against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). According to EDHS (2005), most women and men are aware that the chances of getting the virus can be reduced by limiting sex to one uninfected partner who has no other partners (63% and 79%, respectively) or by abstaining from sexual intercourse (62 percent and 80 percent, respectively). However, knowledge about the use of condoms and the role they can play in preventing transmission of the HIV virus is relatively much less common, particularly among females. Analysis of data from BSS (2005) also suggests that young people’s use of condoms is generally inconsistent, and the proportion of sexually active youths who report condom use remains low.