Shembe church men forced to test for HIV before marrying virgins – report

The eBuhleni branch of the Shembe Church is reportedly forcing its men congregants intending to wed to get tested for HIV before marriage.

Isolezwe reported that a source complained about this to the publication, a matter which the newspaper confirmed with the spokesperson of the church who said there was no harm in adhering to this law.

This law was reportedly enacted in an effort of protecting young maidens – who are tested for their virginity – from contracting the virus from men living with it without knowing but have asked the young women for their hand in marriage.

A source who asked to remain anonymous told the publication that the men of the church are up in arms over the law as they feel that it is targeting them because of a belief that they may have engaged in sexual intercourse before marriage.

The source said the matter was first discussed in 2017, where it was initially said that the two intending to wed – man and woman – would be tested for the virus and that this would be done so that those intending to get married would do so knowing each other’s status.

The source further told the publication that though this law was a good idea, it did somewhat trample on people’s individual rights.

The source was quoted as saying it was an individual’s right to disclose a disease they may be living with to others and when they chose to do so.

“According to this regulation, you are told your test results alongside the one you are going to get married to,” the source said, adding that this could scare other people off and lead them to abandon the plan to marry and disclose to the public their reasons for doing so, which trampled on individual rights.

Another man member of the church complained that this seems to be targeting men within the church.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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