This article discusses polygamy as an adaptive cultural practice for Africa. It examines the effects of polygyny on population growth and fertility for select countries. It argues that polygyny has a positive effect on population growth and fertility but at the same time may be harmful to the health and well-being of women and children. It ends with a discussion of interviews conducted with Ivorian women during the summer of 2002. The women reveal their concerns that a monogamous relationship may become polygamous in the future; that they have little control over their husbands' taking a second wife.
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