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Africa sees rise in 'sex terror' | ||||||
The use of sex to control people is most often seen during conflicts. But delegates at the first African Congress on Sexual Health and Rights heard that a new pattern is emerging. Increasing numbers of people infected with HIV are deliberately passing the virus on to their partners on purpose, in order to make them more dependent.
Rape has always been used as a violent yet effective weapon of war. It is physically and mentally scarring, not only for the victim but also for their families. The power of sex Yet war is not the only place where sexual terrorism can be found. In societies where people have little control over their lives - like those living in poverty or where there are high levels of unemployment - sex becomes one of the few areas where individuals still have power. "In our African custom, a man is always a head of the family, and what the man says it stays, no matter what," Bruce Errol, a resident of a South African township, told the BBC.
"I think HIV/Aids is used as a weapon to influence partners... in terms of their behaviour," says Eugene Hughley, a specialist on sexual terrorism. "It is a very violent, vicious, angry means of controlling the individual... The issue is 'how can I keep this individual for me, and I'm willing to do it at any means'." But women can also use sex as a weapon. If they have been infected by someone they can take revenge on another man and infect them, and that is also being seen. "Some men force their women to have unprotected sex," says Bruce Errol. "Those women sometimes, when they find out they're positive, they tend to take revenge on other men." Psychologists at the conference accept that only considerable effort over many years will curb sexual terrorism, but they strongly believe that presently the best approach is to help those affected by it. | ||||||
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