Exchange no. 1, 2008

Harmful traditional practices

Harmful traditional practices
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Very little research has been done to establish a firm link between harmful traditional practices and HIV transmission. However, it is likely that any practice that involves transferring blood carries a significant infection risk. It is also likely that practices that involve involuntary or pre-mature sex or concurrent sexual partnerships put men and women at risk of infection. Traditional practices that may directly impact on the spread of HIV include female genital mutilation, sexual cleansing, dry sex, blood oaths, scarification, etc. Practices that have a less direct, but probable, effect on the spread of HIV are widow inheritance, early marriage and polygamy. These customs and rituals are considered harmful as they often have a huge impact on the health and well-being of people engaged in them and they usually violate their human rights. Inmost cases, it is women and girls who are forced to undergo traditional practices that undermine their health. In this issue of Exchange, three examples of harmful traditional practices that impact on women and girls are highlighted: female genital mutilation, early marriage and widow inheritance. In the first article, the author argues that even though supportive laws that prohibit genital mutilation and other harmful practices are important, in order to be effective, legal approaches to fighting these practices need to be coupled by community approaches.

Royal Tropical Institute