Men’s Labor Migration and Women’s Informal Communication on HIV/AIDS in Mozambique

Victor Agadjanian, Arizona State University

This study employs social capital perspectives to examine men’s labor migration and informal communication about HIV/AIDS of wives who stay behind in southern Mozambique. We compare three groups: women whose husbands were current labor migrants, those whose husbands have been away for some time and those who were married to non-migrants. Using multi-level random intercept models, we find that women married to current migrants were more likely than those whose husbands have been away and non-migrants’ wives to converse about HIV/AIDS. Such communication was likely to occur with social network partners whose husbands have also migrated. We also find that women who are very worried about getting HIV/AIDS infection from their husbands are more likely to engage in conversations about HIV/AIDS. We analyze qualitative data collected in parallel with our survey and interpret our findings within the context of labor migration and the social construction of HIV/AIDS risk and prevention in sub-Saharan Africa.