Adaptation, Africa, Indigenous knowledge, Mitigation, Sahel, Sustainable development,

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The Okun tribe numbering about a million persons accepts sexual relation between men and wives of their male kin. Features of spouse-sharing that impact on reproductive health were identified and used to develop an interactive community-based intervention. The intervention promoted discussion of spouse-sharing as a risk factor in HIV/AIDS transmission, knowledge of AIDS/STDs, perception of risk and alternative behaviors to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS. The intervention effects were evaluated using data collected in baseline and follow-up surveys in May 1999 and June 2000 among 1018 sexually active respondents in two sets of Okun communities-one with and the other without intervention. The intervention significantly raised awareness about HIV/AIDS, perception of risk of contracting the disease and the intention to discontinue spouse-sharing in the intervention communities. Lessons learned during the intervention are described as means of informing future community based interventions to address traditional practices that could transmit HIV/AIDS.