Abstract

PIP: The deeply rooted tradition of widow inheritance is a determinant of sex among the Luo which is widely practiced by Luo groups in Uganda, Tanzania, Zaire, and Sudan. This practice of sexual networking whereby men who inherit widows have multiple sex partners, high frequency of exchange between widows, and low levels of condom use, however, encourages the spread of HIV. The authors interviewed 92 widows of mean age 34 years to investigate this traditional behavior among the Luo in South Nyanza District, Kenya. Subjects were widows of Luo men who had died of a chronic illness between November 1991 and October 1992. 47 had already been inherited and 34 were planning to be, while 11 refused to be inherited for fear of spreading HIV. Of the men who inherited them, 80% were married, one third had histories of inheriting other widows, and some were paid to take on their new responsibilities. Only two widows reported ever using condoms since the demise of their spouse even though sexual intercourse is an essential component of widow inheritance. The lack of condom use corresponds with the lack of knowledge about the ability of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV; only 9% reported being aware of this condom attribute. 87% of the widows, however, reported that sexual intercourse with multiple partners can lead to the transmission of HIV. 70% felt that monogamy and avoiding prostitutes can prevent the spread of HIV. These findings point to the urgent need for community based AIDS education targeting elders, women, and youth.