African women and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS: implications for female related cultural practices

Violence against women in Africa dates back to primordial society, where cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and polygamous marriages were prescribed and supervised by male-dominated social structures. Women's status has always been at high risk, since such practices are male supervised. With the upsurge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic globally, research needs to focus on such cultural practices, the dangers of such practices, and possible eradication. The present article examines the change-resistant, prevailing religious, social, and psychological barriers to change.