Teenage girls in the African country of Swaziland no longer have to carry around large woolen tassles as a symbol of their chastity.
An excerpt from BBC Online:
The ban was very unpopular with young Swazis |
The sex ban was imposed to fight the spread of HIV/Aids. About 40% of the population are HIV positive.
In 2001, he king fined himself a cow for breaking the ban by marrying again, but he could choose another wife at the annual reed dance this weekend.
In the two-day ceremony bare-breasted girls will dance before the monarch.
King Mswati transgressed the ban when he took a 17-year-old girl as his ninth wife just two months after imposing the sex ban in September 2001, sparking unprecedented protests by Swazi women outside the royal palace.
Meanwhile, the health ministry has released new figures which show that 29% of Swazis aged 15-19 are HIV positive.
For pregnant women, the figures were 42%.
It's a quirky story until you get to those last two grafs. :(