Sex with a virgin will cure HIV/AIDS and the younger the virgin, the more potent the cure.This myth has stolen the innocence many young girls. South Africa also has one of the highest rates of rape in the world and studies show that 15% of these girls are under the age of 11; 26% of these girls were between the ages of 12-17. This means that around 41% of the rapes committed in South Africa were against minors. It is key to remember that these statistics only show the rapes that were reported, and there are potentially thousands of other rape victims who did not report the crime.
False knowledge on HIV/AIDS treatment and management is not new in South Africa. Former health minister of South Africa, Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was known for advocating what was known as the beetroot-garlic-lemon diet as a cure for AIDS. Furthermore, she also suggested that AIDS was not caused by HIV. As Westerners, we know that sex with virgins will not cure AIDS, however, in South Africa, proper HIV/AIDS education is seriously lacking, and in desperation people tend to believe whatever they are told. While no research points to a concrete industry that traffics children purely for the cure of AIDS, South African witch-doctors and traditional healers are known for telling men to have sex with young virgins to cure their illness.
South Africa has taken the initiative to raise HIV/AIDS awareness, however most of their campaigning focuses on prevention, as opposed to treatment and management. It is common to see anti-HIV/AIDS placards and signs; however most signs generally only advertise condom usage. Of course, it is important to advertise to condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, but it is also equally important to debunk the myths surrounding a false and dangerous “cure”.
