A Rumor For Rape

A rumor  in Africa teaches (and I say teach for a purpose) that HIV can be cured by raping a virgin. As disturbing as this story is to tell you, you need to be aware of what goes on in our very own world. The thought that babies are commonly being raped to cure HIV makes me so saddened and so sickened I can't be quiet about this to quell someone else's comfort level. As a person who served the HIV community for over a decade as an advocate and volunteer, I never imagined in this day and time this would happen. The oddity involved in these rumor incited rapes is studies prove that the advice of the traditional healers can not be the sole reason this epidemic is happening. It is said that 60% of people in a study said they had heard the rumor of this 'cleansing' act with a virgin through the media. The problem once again seems to be media and religion, and is one of the many reasons why I have a problem with religion. Religion, the cause of so much degradation and destruction over time. The traditional faith healer in Africa is part of daily life to the men of Africa and now so is the virgin cleansing myth.. It is called the virgin cleansing myth and I am disappointed to realizing people dare think this true. You would think since HIV is a relatively new disease that this rumor is also fairly new, documented cases in Africa begin in about 2000. The rumor actually goes back to 16th century Europe and gained prominence in 19th century Victorian England as a cure-all for sexually transmitted diseases. Because of the virgin cleansing myth, as many as ten girls are raped every day. As many as 3,600 girls in Zimbabwe each year may be contracting HIV and AIDS after being raped.UNICEF has attributed the rape of hundreds of girls to the virgin cleansing myth. Cases have been reported in which a one-day-old infant was raped.

It not only bothers me that these babies, girls, and women will suffer for long term effects physically and emotionally it saddens me that the degradation of women is still nothing anyone wants to get involved with. The world I mean quite literally, since wars are started over much less.  I just do not understand when we the human race, the world are allowed to react and take action legally! Self blame is a common reaction to sexual abuse/rape some victims ( survivors) who experience behavioral problems will have to deal with a lot of self blame, feeling that they should have done something differently, and therefore feel at fault. Victims who experience characterological self blame feel there is something inherently wrong with them which has caused them to deserve to be assaulted. This should not be the next generation of women, ladies and gentlemen we have come so far for this. So, what are some of the stats in a nation plagued by HIV and idiocy? The stats look ridiculous enough : 21,000 child rapes, and some 37,000 adult rapes, were reported in South Africa last year. According to the South African Police Service, only one in 35 are actually reported. The actual incidence of rape could well be in excess of a million per year. It can only be speculated and then that the actual incidence of child/infant rape has reached alarming and phenomenal proportions that should signal urgent intervention from the highest levels of government, and society-at-large. Between 1500 to 1700 new HIV/Aids infections occur daily in South Africa, or nearly one seventh of the 14000 new infections worldwide. This figure amounts to an estimated 5 million new infections globally in 2001; more than 95 percent of these new infections occurred in developing countries and HIV/Aids-associated illnesses caused the deaths of 3 million people worldwide, including an estimated 580,000 children younger than 15 years. The stats appear to be going up all the time and I wonder what is happening in Africa to change it. Well, whether you are young or old, daring perhaps ready to commit yourself to helping through volunteer work there is always this group the Cross Cultural Service, to volunteer is truly honorable and also life changing and if that is too much maybe contributing to a worthy charity or fund, I know I will be.