Multiple and Concurrent Sexual Partnerships in Zimbabwe: A Target Audience Research Report

This 41-page report documents a study, conducted by Action Institute for Environment, Health and Development Communication (IEHDC) in Zimbabwe, that aimed to find out about people's knowledge, awareness, understanding, and beliefs around multiple concurrent partnerships (MCP), as well as to uncover related myths and misconceptions. The research was conducted in nine provinces and used focus group discussions and key informant interviews to source data. According to the authors, the research confirmed that MCP is common in Zimbabwe. It showed that there are varied and gendered attitudes towards MCP, and that reasons for these partnerships relate to gender relations, poverty, lust, culture, and abuse.

Key findings from the report include:

• Different kinds of sexual relationships exist within the communities interviewed, and include everything from casual sex and married men having affairs to transactional sex and more exploitative relationships.
• Faithfulness was understood to mean sticking to one partner.
• Interviewees were able to point out many reasons for MCP.
• Respondents understood that being infected with HIV was a major risk and disadvantage of MCP, and were able to identify other disadvantages.
• Women noted that risky relationships are difficult for them to leave because of children and the harsh economic environment.
• A prominent concern is that MCP requires secrecy.
• Many men feel MCP is natural and is not likely to change, whereas women feel that outreach programmes may help decrease the practice.
• Knowledge about HIV risk is inconsistent and many people hold misconceptions about HIV and sexual health, with men highlighting the belief that a man has to go through a phase of having diseases like sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Respondents understood certain cultural practices as putting people at risk of contracting HIV, such as polygamy, wife inheritance, repaying a crime by handing over a girl child, and helping an infertile couple conceive.
• Respondents were not convinced that circumcision reduced HIV transmission, though they had heard of its supposed benefits.

The report also includes several recommendations for addressing and reducing MCP in Zimbabwe. Authors recommend communicating clearly the risks associated with MCP and the dangers of having more than one sexual partner at once. It also recommends addressing male dominance and sexual dissatisfaction by encouraging communication between partners; promoting consistent and correct condom use; addressing cultural practices that condone male dominance and MCP; and addressing gender dynamics, with the aim of empowering women and raising their status in society.

According to the report, the results show that although men and women have some information on MCP, there are big gaps in knowledge, and authors say that certain cultural and social norms need to be addressed in order to reduce the number of people involved in MCP in Zimbabwe.