just take a shower

I just got out of isiZulu class in which I had my first test. I was so overwhelmed and nervous and it actually ended up going well so I was pleased. Anyways, almost every class period our professor ends up going on a tangent and begins discussing Zulu customs and shares personal stories. I feel like a little kid during storytime, it is so fascinating! Tonight she began to share about the AIDS epidemic. Most of what she said was shocking and made me sick to my stomach.
Apparently the president of South Africa recently stated that after having sex with an AIDS infected person, simply taking a shower would rid you of the disease! WHAT?! He is telling this to the youth of South Africa, who lack the education and resources to know how incredibly inaccurate this is. There have already been more than half a million deaths in South Africa resulting from HIV/AIDS, and nearly 40% of pregnant women are infected in KwaZulu-Natal alone (the province where Pietermaritzburg is). The statistics are alarming, yet the president broadcasts his naivety and ignorance to his people.
Our professor also discussed the other beliefs people have for how to get rid of AIDS. Having sex with a virgin (often times young babies) is a popular belief. Innocent girls of all ages are being raped, commonly becoming pregnant, and as a result must attempt to mother a baby when they are still a child themselves. Too, girls are being pressured into sex and pregnancy because the males will not marry a girl until he knows she could bear his children. Just thinking of the mess these people live in breaks my heart. Their lives are turned upside down as family members are dying every weekend, young girls are becoming premature mothers, and children must quickly learn how to simply survive on their own. It's devastating.