Traditions hamper AIDS prevention

Cultural traditions in Lesotho are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS, a senior official in the government's AIDS council has said. Mathoriso Monaheng, acting CEO for the Lesotho AIDS Prevention Coordinating Authority (LAPCA), said among the cultural traditions contributing to the spread of the virus was the use of the same knife in the ritual circumcision of school-age boys. She said some of these traditions also encouraged taboos against speaking openly about sexual faithfulness and hampered national efforts in HIV/AIDS education. The Associated Press agency quoted Monaheng as saying: "The cultural aspect whereby men are allowed to have mistresses is another problem. When you are a Mosotho man [a man from Lesotho] and you arrive home late, your wife is not supposed to question your whereabouts." Research shows that Lesotho has one of the highest infection rates in the world, with some 31 percent of adults aged between 15 and 49 living with HIV/AIDS.