Recent surveys in Tanzania reveal that the majority of the women contracted the HIV virus because of discriminatory customs and rape, causing the number of infections to soar. According to a 1999 United Nations Human Development Report, Tanzania’s male-dominated culture, which is characterized by customs such as wife inheritance and polygamous marriage, largely explains women’s higher rates of HIV contraction than men. The National AIDS Control Programme has also pointed to the increasing number of rape cases as another reason for the pandemic. United Nations lists Tanzania as among the top 15 countries where populations are threatened by the AIDS pandemic.
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