clitoridectomy and AIDS

[miriam_e]

I've always been puzzled about the incredible incidence of AIDS in some poor nations. Well, it seems one of the reasons it is spreading so rapidly is the prevalence of clitoridectomy in some of those countries. Clitoridectomy is also known, rather misleadingly, as female circumcision. They remove the clitoris to prevent the woman feeling much sexual satisfaction from sex. This is supposedly to help women remain chaste. Unfortunately for both the men and the women the lack of a clitoris means that the woman doesn't become properly aroused and self-lubricated for sex so she suffers ripping and abrasion of the vagina during sex. These tears are perfect entrypoints for the AIDS virus. A well lubricated vagina is apparently very resistant to AIDS. Presumably the men suffer small abrasions too and the infected woman is now able to pass the virus on to more men.

While clitoridectomy remains a moral issue where women are disfigured and robbed of their natural pleasures it will likely continue unabated, but now that it has been shown that it figures prominently in the spread of AIDS to men just watch the practise grind to a halt.