Which sexual intercourse method increases the risk of HIV infection?

According to foreign media reports, there are still many women around the world who practice dry vaginal intercourse, which not only makes women very painful, but also increases the risk of HIV infection.

Dry vaginal intercourse is a popular form of sexual intercourse in Africa, Indonesia and other places. It is a form of sexual intercourse performed when the woman has no vaginal secretions. Locals do not like wetness during intercourse and feel that vaginal dryness will increase pleasure. Therefore, women will use aphrodisiac herbs, household detergents, disinfectants, wipe the vagina dry, place leaves in the vagina, etc. to remove vaginal secretions. The World Health Organization warns that this practice carries significant risks, including the potential for tearing, inflammation or ulceration of vaginal tissue, and that drying the vagina may remove beneficial bacteria that fight sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, the increased friction during dry vaginal intercourse increases the possibility of condom breakage, thereby increasing the risk of HIV infection.

A 2009 report on the spread of HIV/AIDS in Zambia showed that dry vaginal sex is still very popular in the country. Two-thirds of the 812 women interviewed had used drugs to dry their vaginas, and half of the respondents were still using this method.

Although most people are aware of this problem, it has not received enough attention from the country and the government. The main reason is that due to cultural traditions, people are reluctant to discuss or investigate personal sexual issues in public. Therefore, investigations into this phenomenon are not sufficient. Most of the research was conducted decades ago, and there is no widely available data on its prevalence.

Relevant professionals said that the practice of dry vaginal intercourse shows that the local cultural education level is not high, and women's rights and equality are not guaranteed, which is a class issue. Due to limited education levels, local men and women are unaware that the vagina has the ability to expand, and basically, a woman's reputation depends on the size of her vagina. For local women, pleasing their male partners is very important, so they have to do it even if dry vaginal intercourse makes them feel painful. Furthermore, most South African women are unaware of their right to sexual pleasure.

Currently, the World Association for Sexual Health is promoting a declaration of sexual rights that everyone has the right to enjoy sexual intercourse, and some women are even surprised that everyone has this right. According to a survey, 33% of women have to endure pain during sexual intercourse. The Declaration of Sexual Rights hopes that the situation will improve further, and seminars to promote knowledge about healthy sexual behaviour will also help to raise awareness.