Times Of Swaziland: Sex here is rampant and unprotected

Sex here is rampant and unprotected
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Mduduzi Magagula on 15/11/2009 00:00:00


MBABANE  -  Swazis are just having too much sex! This is according to a report
of a study conducted by Lusweti Health Communication for Change which was
conducted across the Swazi population and was published recently.
The study came up with startling revelations that primary school children are
sexually active, which would not have been the case in previous generations.
Boys and girls aged 16 to 19 also reported high levels of sexual activity among
their peers.
They said they often go to parties where most people are in couples and so they
find partners themselves.
As alcohol is usually freely available at parties, these teenagers often drink
too much and then have sex with the partners they have found there.
The study revealed that the partners are usually randomly picked such that the
sex becomes more like a chain where everyone participates in these chain orgies.
The teenagers revealed that most sexual encounters in these situations happen
without protection.
In adults, an interesting scenario was uncovered, dissatisfaction in
relationships was identified as one of the major reasons that people get
involved in Multiple Concurrent Partnerships.
A lot of couples were said to be disgruntled and also complained of poor sexual
performance from their partners.
The limited or no sexual pleasure was blamed on lack of communication in primary
relationships, and according to the report this has led to people to seek
additional partners.
The report further states that poverty and materialism were another factor that
drove people to have multiple partners – “where poverty-stricken people
exchange sex for money or material goods.”
The respondents also said “other people exchange sex for luxuries rather than
necessities and some people become involved in MCP as it gives them elevated
status among their peers.”
The research identified culture and certain social norms as major contributors
to the practice of MCP.
‘Christian women also have secret lovers’
MBABANE - There is a lot of promiscuity in church. This is according to findings
of a study that was conducted by Lusweti recently.
According to the report, there was a general consensus among people involved in
the study  that multiple concurrent sexual partnerships are ‘not good’ and
constitute promiscuity.
Respondents generally said they did not approve of multiple-concurrent partners
(MCP), even given that having more than one sexual partner is a culturally
acceptable practice – especially for men.
Married and religious people especially felt that MCP went against their moral
values.
To illustrate this point, participants pointed out that married women will
sometimes do things for their pastors that they would not do for their husbands.
Leaders of religious institutions also get involved in sexual relationships with
more than one partner, respondents said.
“It is just immorality, especially these churchgoing women. You find that she
doesn’t bake for her husband at home but she goes to church carrying a cake
tin for the priest. She does not kneel down for her husband but she will get
down on her knees when approaching the priest saying: ‘This is what I baked
for you Father.’
“Her husband at home would be dying of hunger. They don’t even mind talking
boldly about having more than one partner.
“Often you hear them say, ‘I have my thing over there (meaning that she has
a secret lover).
According to a female in her 40s from the Lubombo region, “…a lot of these
bad habits happen even in the churches. Promiscuity has moved to the churches.
Some women who have husbands also perpetrate promiscuity.”