Lifestyle 5 crazy sexual traditions that are still practised in Africa

While practices like the killing of twins in Nigeria are no longer as common as they used to be, certain rituals have refused to go away.

Here are five crazy sexual traditions that are still practised in Africa:

Sexual Cleansing

This popular custom is practised in rural Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, and other African countries. Locally referred to as "Kusasa Fumbi," it involves a woman having unprotected sex with a man called a "hyena." This person could be a professional male sex worker, a selected future husband, a widow's brother-in-law or someone paid by the woman's family.

It is carried out on three separate occasions - when a girl gets her first menstrual period when a married woman loses her husband, or after an abortion.

The traditional custom is meant to help girls become good wives.

Eric Aniva, a self-confessed "hyena man" has 'sexually cleansed' over 100 women and girls in Malawi. He was sentenced to two years in prison in November 2016 as an attempt to stop this ritual ece-auto-gen

Okujepisa Omukazendu treatment

In an attempt to foster relationships and approval, a man gives his wife over to his guest for the night while he sleeps in another room or outside if there is no space.

This practice is done by the Himba people, an indigenous, polygamous people who live in northern Namibia, the Kunene Region and the Kunene River in Angola.

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Virginity Testing

Despite the several attempts by the South African government to outlaw this practice, virginity testing remains quite popular.

Just as the name suggests, a young woman's virginity is tested by a qualified virginity tester who takes her into a secluded room where she lays down with her legs wide apart.

A virginity tester waiting to carry out her tests ece-auto-gen

The tester then proceeds to use her bare hands to open her private part in order to see if her hymen is intact. If everything checks out, the young woman gets a virginity certificate and only then is she allowed to participate in the Umhlanga or Reed Dance ceremony.

It is an annual eight-day Zulu event that attracts loads of single ladies to participate in the event. The traditional attire worn includes beadwork, anklets, bracelets, necklaces, and colourful sashes. They dance bare-breasted for their king while carrying a long reed.

African sexual traditions include offering sex to guests to women undergoing virginity tests ece-auto-gen

Potency Test

Carried out by the Banyankole tribe in Uganda is a practice similar to the virginity test. Unlike the latter carried out women, this is done before marriage on the groom.

It requires an aunt of the bride to confirming the potency of the husband to be by actually having sex with him. The bride and groom are only allowed to consummate their marriage if he passes the test.

The potency test is carried out by an aunt of the bride on the groom ece-auto-gen

The test might also include the aunts watching or listening as the newlyweds have sexual intercourse.

Wife stealing

This annual ritual is practised by the Wodaabe tribe of Niger. This ethnic group can be found in the northern parts of Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon, the western region of Central Africa Republic and southwestern Chad.

Following the belief that women have the sexual power, they are allowed to have sexual activities with men other than her husband during a seven-day ceremony.

During the duration of the event, the men disguise themselves with heavy makeup and peacock feathers as they strut their stuff in front of the women. They also put on a spectacular mating dance.

The wife stealing dance is done at night ece-auto-gen

When the female sees what he likes, she makes her choice by walking up to a man and tapping him on the shoulder. If he likes her, the chosen man is allowed to steal her from her husband for this stated period.