for eMaxHealthPopulation Service Internationalon Wednesday launched a campaign against cross-generational sex inKampala, Uganda, to fight the spread of HIV among girls and women,Uganda's New Vision reports. According to the New Vision,cross-generational sex occurs when a young girl or woman has a sexualrelationship with a man at least 10 years older than she is.
Thecampaign -- which will be implemented in universities and about 50secondary schools in Uganda -- aims to empower girls and women. It waslaunched in response to several studies that found HIV prevalence amonggirls ages 15 to 24 in the country was four times higher than boys inthe same age group, the New Vision reports. One studyfound that 10% of girls have sexual relationships with older men. Inanother study, 20% of girls surveyed said they had hadcross-generational sex and 50% considered it to be normal.
SylviaNagginda, queen of the Ugandan tribal kingdom of Buganda, called forthe end of cultural practices that influence girls to haverelationships with older men. She added that cross-generational sexwill make young women "prone" to unplanned pregnancies and HIV/AIDS.Miria Matembe, former minister for ethics, said that cross-generationalsex is a widespread issue because it is embraced by several cultures."The root cause of this is our traditional and cultural practices,which undermine girls as sex objects," Matembe said, adding, "The fightmust be broader for the culture of materialism to be broken down"(Natukunda, New Vision, 8/2).
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