Sexual cleansing (kusasa fumbi) is an African tradition practiced in parts of Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Ivory Coast, Congo and Nigeria. In the tradition, a woman is expected to have sex as a cleansing ritual after her first period, after becoming widowed, or after having an abortion.
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Hyena
Sexual cleansing is sometimes performed by a selected future husband for a young girl, or by the deceased husband's brother or other relative for a widow, or otherwise by a paid sex worker.
A hyena is a traditional position in some parts of southern Malawi, held by a man who initiates young women into adulthood through sex. A hyena is a man paid to have sex with young women between the ages of 12–17, as a part of a rite of passage called "kusasa fumbi" (‘brushing off the dust’) (sexual cleansing). The rite lasts for three days. Hyenas are paid from $4 to $7 each time. The rite is believed to prevent disease. Hyenas are chosen for their moral character and are believed to be incapable of catching diseases such as HIV/AIDS. It can place the young girls at risk of HIV infection because the hyena has sexual intercourse with all the girls and the ritual requires the exchange of sexual fluids so condoms are not used.
Locations
In Malawi, the practice of sexual cleansing is largely confined to Chikwawa and Nsanje District. It is also practiced in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Ivory Coast, Congo, and Nigeria.