A glimpse into the work, some envy, and surprise

I’ve been in Zambia the past six weeks working on an HIV/AIDS project, which has many different components. One topic that is heavily discussed and understood is that one of the main reasons HIV has spread so rapidly throughout Zambia, and in the region, is due to what is called multiple-concurrent partnerships (MCPs). Basically, this is when husbands/wives have girlfriends/boyfriends on the side. It’s not just about one-off extramarital affairs, it’s more about ongoing sexual relationships that occur simultaneously, and with multiple partners. This means that people are going outside primary partnerships for sex, and then, in turn, those partners have their own partners and girlfriends, and on and on…This practice tends to be culturally accepted in most circles, and there are many opinions about why this is a common practice.

I can’t begin to know all of the ins-and-outs of the culture, or why these types of relationships often occur (and just to note, I’m not saying this doesn’t happen in some western and American region). But as an outsider, it is interesting to see some cultural practices that may be contributing to this.

At a recent event traditional dancers were brought in to sing about abstinence (as an HIV prevention method). Their dancing was colorful and energetic, but very sexual in nature. Afterward, 2 of my Zambian colleagues brought this up, which led to a discussion about how this is a cultural way to dance, from the rural regions. Despite this, my colleagues were the first to say that this may be a reason for why prevention messages may not be reaching people, so that they really understand it. We were left thinking that the dancers could not really have absorbed the message they were trying to give to others.

Interestingly, yesterday I visited an orphanage where children were singing and dancing for us. These kids could not have been more than SIX years old…they were all lined up, singing, and every few minutes, a pair (a boy and girl) moved in front of the line, and started dancing. The boy would put his hands on the hips of the girl from behind, and dance very close to her, with lots of hip action. I know I’m an outsider here, and not really in the know, BUT regardless, this dancing (in any culture) has a sexual connotation….and these are KINDERGARDENERS. I really was shocked. AND the fact that most of the little girls were embarrassed to do it, and ran off quickly, led me to think, yes, this is something awkward and inappropriate.

While I’ve always envied the dancing ability of African people (how good moves just seem to be in the genetic code, which these kids reinforced) this experience left me thinking that the cultural practice of dancing in a sexual/sensual manner starts VERY early, and could very well be a part of why MCP’s are so prevalent later in life. Maybe it’s a round-about conclusion…and while I know these are just kids, there was such a lack of connection with the dancing partner, both sets of eyes looked away, but their bodies were very much connected. They were detached personally, from what was going on with their bodies…does this lead to an overall detachment from the individual, when participating in sexual behavior the older they get? And could this have an impact on the spread of HIV in the region due to MCP’s? Just thinking out loud here…