Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2011

Keywords

Stevenson Center, cohabiting, Sub-Saharan Africa, HIV, AIDS

Abstract

Sixty percent of all individuals with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV is primarily transmitted through sexual activity; having multiple congruent sexual partners is one significant source of HIV transmission in sub-Saharan African. Men are primarily the individuals to go outside of a relationship because of various social and cultural influences. The purpose of this study is to examine married and cohabiting men’s extra-dyadic affairs. Two models were used to examine men’s extra-dyadic behavior: The Health Belief Model (HBM) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). These models can show if beliefs, attitudes, and norms about HIV/AIDS and the risks of extra-dyadic relationships affect the number of extra-dyadic affairs. Data were derived from the Demographic and Health Survey Data (DHS) from three sub-Saharan African countries: the 2006-07 Namibia survey, the 2008 Nigeria survey, and the 2007 Zambia survey. Ordinary least-squares regression analysis was utilized as the method of analysis. Though these models were not designed for a sub-Saharan Africa context, this study identified key individual cognitive factors that impact married and cohabiting men’s extra-dyadic behavior: perceived severity of extra-dyadic behavior, social norms, perceived susceptibility of HIV/AIDS, and frequency of exposure to media messages concerning HIV/AIDS and extra-dyadic behavior. This study found that perceiving susceptibility or HIV/AIDS, the frequency of watching television, and attitudes increased the number of extra-dyadic affairs while social norms reduced the number of extra-dyadic affairs.

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