Hummer man, sex worms a myth

2008-09-30 14:00

Oris Mnisi & Thandy Ndlovu

Polokwane - Limpopo health officials have denied rumours that a growing number of women are seeking treatment for worms in their vaginas.

Rumours are doing the rounds that, in the past two months, a man driving a black Hummer has slept with and infected women from Phalaborwa to Polokwane, Mankweng, Mokopane.

"We are very concerned about these malicious rumours because curious people are flocking to our health facilities to catch a glimpse of these non-existent patients," said provincial health spokesperson Phuti Seloba.

He said some people arrive with R30 and ask hospital staff to buy liver with it, because they've heard that if the liver is placed on the woman's vagina, it will draw out the worms.

"We would really like to inform people that we do not have such patients in our hospitals - either now or in the past," said Seloba.

Instead, he reminded the public to practise safe sex by wearing a condom as part of the Zinthande (love yourself) campaign.

"The campaign is aimed to ensure that people manage and control the number of sexual partners they have in a lifetime. It is critical that people not wake up in bed with strangers," he said.

Limpopo police spokesperson Superintendent Moatshe Ngoepe said that while police had heard rumours of the Hummer man, no one had come forward to open a case against him.

"People have been talking about this Hummer man but they don't report him and there's no clear description of him," said Ngoepe.

Ngoepe urged anyone with more solid information about the man to go to their nearest police station.

- African Eye