Audience Report - Multiple Concurrent Partnerships - Mozambique

This 79-page report documents a study conducted by Nweti in Mozambique regarding audience attitudes in relation to Multiple Concurrent Partners (MCP). This report was conducted to inform Nweti about the understanding, perception, and feelings as well as the behaviour, social, and practical norms related to MCP. According to information gathered from the interviewees, there are various types of relationships between men and women in communities. These relationships are described as a matrimonial relationship, a relationship that is based on material/financial interests, extra-conjugal relationships, flirting, and intimate friends. The report suggests that these findings are useful for developing messages to address the link between MCP and HIV/AIDS.

In terms of language, the research found that men refer to the partner in an extra-conjugal relationship as a "friend (female)". The author proposes that despite the fact that society seems to condemn extra-conjugal relationships, it does not condemn the act itself, but the category. Perhaps because of that reason men are always careful to refer to their lover as "friend." It should be noted that most women do accept this category of lover while men do not.

The issue of survival is one of the major reasons that lead people to have multiple concurrent partners. However, for some women survival is about basic things, while for others it is about what makes you socially accepted - nice clothes or a good cell phone. It is important to consider that what started as a way of surviving may end up becoming a "modus vivendus", closing the possibilities for change even if there are many other options.

The report also suggests that while many people know about the importance of using a condom, this does not always translate into attitudes and behaviour that favour the use of condoms. An important reason for the lack of condom use is that the use of condoms is portrayed as being for situations where there is a lack of trust.

The report makes a number of conclusions:

• The multiplicity of partners is very common in society and communities have begun to accept it as normal.

Even though society consciously or unconsciously accepts the multiplicity of partners, the system still penalises women for the behaviour and tolerates the behaviour in men.

• Emotional and material motivations are common reasons that push women to MCP.
• For men, motivation can also be emotional or material, but in many cases their motivations are based on culture and socialisation. The social and financial power that men have is one of the greatest motivators for men to have multiple partners.
• Even if women have multiple partners, they are concerned about preserving their marriage and therefore have rules with the new partner. Men are more concerned about getting the woman they want, telling her lies as a way to catch her.
• Survival was one of the reasons women sited for MCP, but in many situations those needs are not the basic needs but are luxuries.
• Men stated that men with multiple partners are despicable, but contradict themselves as they view men in multiple relationships with pride.
• Men acknowledge that in many cases they are the reasons why women betray men. Their acts such as infidelity, abuse, violence, and other actions cause women to seek other relationships. Nevertheless, they do not tolerate betrayal.
• Condoms are used by a small number of people. People do not use condoms for several reasons: they do not find them "pleasurable", using condoms goes against their religious principles, and people (for good or bad) trust their partners.

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