Abstract:
This paper reports on an exploratory study examining the role of sexual cleansing rituals in the
transmission of HIV among the Luo community in western Kenya. Data were collected using both in-
depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study population consisted of 38 widows, 12
community elders and 44 cleansers. Data were collected on non-behavioural causes, behavioural
causes and behavioural indicators associated with sexual rituals. Content analysis revealed five central
themes: the effect of the ritual on sexual behaviours; factors contributing to the continued practice of
the ritual, including a sub-theme on the commercialization of the ritual; the inseparable relationship
between the sanctity of sex, prosperity and fertility of the land; and the effects of modernization on the
ritual, including a sub-theme on the effects of mass media on HIV-prevention awareness campaigns.
Causal factors of unchanging sexual behaviours are deeply rooted in traditional beliefs, which the
community uphold strongly. These beliefs encourage men and women to have multiple sexual
partners in a context where the use of condoms is rejected and little HIV testing is carried out.