HIV-AIDS Epidemic and its Dynamics

This book is aimed at exploring polygamy, commonly practiced by many communities, to examine issues potentially related to the spread of HIV in Maiduguri, Nigeria by addressing: How does the practice of polygamy among the HIV positive individuals in Maiduguri compare to that in the general population?; Do people believe that polygamy plays any role in the spread of HIV/AIDS in Maiduguri and what factors are important in their perception of polygamy¿s role?; and What is the extent of and what are people¿s opinions and beliefs about the practice of polygamy in Maiduguri? This was by using a mixed quantitative and qualitative research methods involving 102 participants of the qualitative method and 173 of the quantitative methods. It emerged from the study that it is not the practice of polygamy per se that was the problem, but the way the polygamous lived their lives. That is where factors like gender roles, religious inclination, educational level and socioeconomic status played their roles in determining if a polygamous relationship led to vulnerability to HIV/AIDS or not.