Abstract

PIP: 1 in 4 South African women will experience rape; 380,000 cases of rape occur annually in South Africa; and 95% of those raped are Black. The incidence of rape in South Africa is 1 of the highest in the world. Gang rape, jackrolling, is a cult among some youths. Young jackrollers in Soweto even aim to impregnate every woman under age 26 in the township. Among men, new inmates in male prisons are raped upon arrival by all members of any given cell; most of the perpetrators tend to lead heterosexual lifestyles outside of prison. The sexual abuse of children is also common in townships, yet is widely denied and rarely challenged. These episodes of sexual intercourse most likely occur without lubrication. A greater amount of friction therefore results with the increased potential for mucosal tearing and bleeding. Such conditions of unprotected, unlubricated sex with multiple partners increase the risk of transmitting and contracting HIV.