Exploring experiences of virginity testers in Mtubatuba area, KwaZulu-Natal
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Date
2017
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University of Zululand
Abstract
Virginity testing stands at the forefront in South Africa’s battle against the spread of HIV/AIDS. Most of rural communities uphold and insist that Black South African girls must remain virgins until marriage, with a belief that virginity is the greatest defense against the spread of HIV/AIDS. In South Africa, virginity testing is mainly practiced in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape (Scorgie, 2002). Although this custom contributes meaning and value to most traditional people, it has been heavily criticized and also challenged by the community. The objectives of the study include the following: (a) to explore the experiences encountered by virginity testers, both positive and negative experiences, (b) to find out under which circumstances virginity testers do their work. A qualitative study was carried out in the rural areas of Mubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal. Eight female participants were used in the study, with the ages ranging between 40 and 64. Snowball sampling method was used to recruit participants. The bits and pieces of the collected data were coded into meaningful patterns and analyzed using content thematic analysis. The study managed to shed light on the perspectives of virginity testers. While it is seen by virginity testers as an effective tool for prevention of pregnancy and HIV/AIDS infections in rural areas, rape has become a big problem. While promoting virginity testing one should also look and think about issues related to the safety and security of both young girls and virginity testers.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University Of Zululand, 2017
Keywords
virginity --prevention --HIV/AIDS --South Africa