Swazi King Pays Fine For Violating Sex Ban
Swaziland's King Mswati III yesterday paid a fine for violating chastity rules that he established to combat the spread of HIV, USA Today reports (Nordwall, USA Today, 11/12). In September, the king ordered all young women in Swaziland to abstain from sex for the next five years in order to reduce the spread of HIV (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/1). The rule bans girls under the age of 18 from having sex, and Swazi custom states that a man must pay a cow as a fine if he marries an underage girl after the rule is declared. A group of 300 young Swazi women protested outside the capital after Mswati announced he would marry a 17-year-old girl. Mswati paid the group of young women the fine of one cow (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 11/11).
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
