Man meets lover. He says “I want to have sex with you right now”. She has no time to think about it. She takes position. Man forces his way in. She is dry and bruised. This is Dry Sex. Before you feel sad for any of the participants, keep in mind that this is an acceptable practice in southern Africa. Dry sex has its own flavor. A study done among black South Africans found that about 50% of women interviewed preferred dry sex to lubricated sex. More than 50% of men shared this view too. The study also showed that men who loved dry sex had partners who loved dry sex.
So why am I ranting about this if it is consensual?
Well, the practice of dry sex aids the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infection because of the trauma involved.
There was a study done among Zimbabwean women that practice dry sex that confirms that condoms burst more often during a dry sex.
Some won’t even bother using a condom, I will tell you why later.
Some women actually go the extra mile to make sure their vagina is dry. These women douche with bleach containing substances and some insert a variety of things into their vagina to make it dry.
Why do women practice Dry Sex?
The people who practice dry sex argue that it enhances their sexual experience. They (male and female) love the sensation a dry vagina brings during sex, they say the vagina is warmer and tighter.
Those who don’t bother using a condom don’t do so because they practice dry sex as a love charm to keep their man faithful to them. Agents like the “mutundo wegudo” is a commercially available love charm that is inserted into the vagina using tissue paper or towels to make it dry. It is reportedly made from the urine of a Baboon. Using a condom spoils the efficacy of this charm
Huh-huh, I know what you are thinking- How do I know right?
I was told by these women and there is enough literature to support their claims.
Way Forward
I respect culture. I am a product of one. I respect other people’s culture even more, however, if a particular way of doing things is a danger to the people who practice it then, we must stand up to put an end to it.
This is no joke.
Every year about 2.2 million people (mostly in sub-Saharan Africa) become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. South Africa has 11,2 % of 6,19 million people, its total population as of July 2015 infected with HIV/AIDS. (Source; Stats SA, 2015)
South Africa also has the highest number of HIV-positive people in the world, with an estimated 6.3 million people living with HIV (WHO, 2016).
We cannot, therefore, hold our peace when we can help. Tell everyone that dry sex helps spread HIV faster. Spread the word, not the virus.
