LIKE A (FEMALE) VIRGIN: From Madonna to Virginity Pledges, Virginity Testing, and Beyond

Background: The advent of HIV/AIDS as a global threat has inspired a variety of strategies to facilitate and speed appropriate changes in cultural values and human behavior that will both reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS and lead to care, treatment and de-stigmatization of those who are HIV-positive. One of those strategies is the promotion of abstinence – or virginity – prior to marriage. Methods: The presentation considers the current global discourse on virginity. Data has been collected on HIV/AIDS programmatic interventions – from virginity “pledges” in the United States to virginity “competitions” and “testing” in Africa – and the strategies those programs are using. Simultaneously, data has been collected on the many contradictory interpretations of and values associated with virginity based on a search of the major internet sources accessed by youth everywhere. Results: Global cultural views of virginity are fraught with contradictions, from the virgin birth to Madonna. Females are in the spotlight. They are celebrated and chastised for their virginity. While virginity may protect them from HIV/AIDS, it also puts them at risk (e.g. virgins marry husbands who have gained sexual experience with high-risk groups, virginity is seen as a cure for HIV/AIDS). It exacerbates a gender divide (perhaps an admirable female trait, it is a failing for men in most cultures). Conclusions: This presentation is intended to provoke discussion. When one considers social justice as a public health imperative – the theme of this conference – we might ask: is promoting virginity promoting social injustice for women?