In pursuit of the exotic, the tourist is ready to sacrifice many things – even his own health and safety. Therefore, tours to the small African country of Swaziland, even less often than Turkey, are requested from time to time – at least on the Internet you can easily find information about the border crossing, the national currency rate and hotels. However, unprotected sex in this country can cost lives.  

Dry data

Swaziland is a small state in southern Africa with a population of just over a million people. Moreover, every year there are fewer and fewer people. In a sense, the record state. True, these records are with a minus sign. The country has the shortest life expectancy and the highest level of infection with the plague of the twentieth century – HIV infection.    

This plague was transmitted, apparently, from South Africa – the leader in the number of infected. However, Swaziland is much inferior in terms of living to its southern neighbor – 70% of the population lives on less than one dollar a day. Despite the fact that the literacy rate in this country is one of the highest in Africa: more than 80% of the population received an education not lower than primary school.  

Stigma for HIV

Over the past fifteen years, life expectancy in Swaziland has been almost halved: from 60 to 32 years (!). The reason is not only in total hunger: more than a third (according to some estimates – about 40%) of the country’s population are carriers of HIV. And this deadly brand rarely allows anyone to live to old age. By the way, about the stigma: in the spring of 2009, MP Timothy Mieni proposed making special tattoos on the buttocks of HIV-positive compatriots. This caused a public outcry, and Mr. Migny was forced to publicly apologize for an idea that violated human rights. 

However, the Swazilandans seem to prefer a short but vibrant life. Thus, when conducting a survey on an intimate topic, most men replied that they would refuse to do tests for the presence of the virus, but less than half intend to protect themselves with condoms during random sexual intercourse. However, most carriers of the virus are young women aged 15-24 years. Among this age group, four times more infected women than men.   

The words of the secretary general of the country’s trade unions, Jen Sithoul, are full of bitterness and sorrow: “The vast majority of workers and workers in my country find it difficult to find daily food. 69% of the population lives below the poverty line. We “hold” the dubious brand of the highest HIV prevalence, not only in Africa but throughout the world. Almost half of the nation survives only thanks to food aid . ” 

Naked brides

Nevertheless, the plight in the country does not prevent the King of Swaziland Msvati III from time to time to give his many wives new BMW cars for $ 80 thousand and build them castles for $ 20 million, as well as to organize public elections for the next bride. Thousands of topless girls dance in front of the loving king the famous “Reed Dance”, and only one of them will become another young, often underage, queen this year. Moreover, this is being done against the background of a formal ban on intimate relations with minors for five years (from 2001 to 2005, it was canceled a year ahead of schedule). However, Mswati regularly pays the fines set by him – a cow for breaking the law. Such a fine is an impermissible luxury for some poor Swaziland family, but not Mswati.   

However, the 41-year-old monarch has not yet been able to surpass his father, King Sobhusu II – he recently chose the 14th wife. Msvati’s father had 90 of them. But then, with AIDS, it was somewhat better.   

So, let’s swing to Swaziland? I personally have already changed my mind.