Readers of this blog will know about the various schemes to encourage virginity, from Uganda's ABC, to Swaziland's virginity tassels, to the US's Silver Ring Thing. An article in today's Washington Post discusses the importance of virginity in Uganda. Young girls (11, 12, 13) are more or less sold into prostitution to older men in order to help the family financially. In order to combat this financial incentive there are talks of offering a virginity scholarship.
Of course, this idea is fraught with problems. Stigma to those who are not virgins, including those who were raped. And, the motivation for the new program. Some charge that it's due to politics - kow-towing to the US - rather than because it's an effective way to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS.
