The Reading Warehouse

Christy Olorunfemi was a child of polygamy; her father had four wives. Her book addresses a critical public health problem in Nigeria, where it is a culturally acceptable show of power and wealth for men to have multiple wives and engage in sexual relations with more than one woman. Research has revealed that high-risk sexual behaviors such as polygamy facilitate the spread of HIV/AIDS. As recently as 2006, only 10 percent of HIV-infected men and women were receiving antiretroviral therapy.

In an effort to understand the role that polygamy plays in the spread of HIV/AIDS, the author interviews ten Nigerian immigrant women who married into polygamy, but after coming to the US were either in single-partner relationships or were single mothers. Her book examines gender roles in polygamy and the history and origin of HIV/AIDS. Though some see polygamy as a killer, others view it as a way to observe cultural traditions.

Polygamy: Is It a Killer? is a unique look into the lives of this group of women who have made the brave decision to share their experiences so as to provide education and information to younger generations of women.