%0 Journal Article
%T Perceptions and attitudes of secondary school students in KwaZulu Natal towards virginity testing
%A M Taylor
%A SB Dlamini
%A R Sathiparsad
%A C Jinabhai
%A H de Vries
%J Health SA Gesondheid
%D 2007
%I AOSIS OpenJournals
%X This study describes the prevalence of virginity testing (VT) amongst rural secondary school students in KwaZulu- Natal (KZN), compares the attitudes of students of both sexes to VT, the differences in attitudes between girls who would/would not undergo such testing, and explores the relationship between risky sexual behaviour and girls who underwent virginity testing. A cross sectional descriptive study was undertaken with stratified random sampling of 10 secondary schools in Ugu District, KZN. Of 846 isiZulu-speaking students whose mean age was 16.1 years (SD 2.4), 492 (58.2%) were girls, of whom 286 (58.1%) had undergone VT and, in total 347 (70.5%) girls supported VT. Girls whose mothers had less formal education were more likely to have participated in VT (P-0.03) with fewer older girls participating (P=0.0003). More girls than boys considered VT to protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (P=0.02), and to be empowering (P<0.005), but VT received support from both sexes as a traditional cultural practice. Participation in VT failed to prevent sexual intercourse and sexually transmitted diseases or to improve rates of condom use amongst those who were sexually active. South Africa¡¯s Bill of Rights supports gender equity. At community level VT has support despite its conflicting relationship with human rights, and questionable impact on preventing HIV/AIDS.
%U http://www.ajol.info/index.php/hsa/article/view/54954