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22 May 2007

Maybe testing for virginity...

Shouldn't be their first priority here...
Having her virginity regularly tested makes South African Nsomawethu Tshobeni feel good. "At 31 I'm very proud to be a virgin, and when I attend the test regularly it gives me self-esteem as a woman," said the nurse who works in the coastal city of Durban.

A revival in the traditional practice among young Zulu women in South Africa is portrayed by supporters as the best way to stop unwanted pregnancies and the spread of HIV/Aids.

But opponents say the practice is sexist and outdated and can even increase the chances of Aids - given the widely held misconception that unprotected sex with a virgin is safe or can cure Aids.
How is it that you wouldn't know -- and more importantly, would have to "test regularly" to determine -- if you were still a virgin?

It's also notable that this woman is not some poor, illiterate soul in a shanty town, but a nurse in the city of Durban.

I'm thinkin' anyone who feels the need to do this... has already fallen short of a much more important benchmark.

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