There are several reasons why female circumcision may not be an adequate explanation for enhanced heterosexual AIDS transmission. For instance in the Lese of Zaire, there is a period following puberty and before marriage when sexual relations between young men and a number of eligible women are virtually sanctioned by society. Pregnancy is treated with a similarly cavalier attitude -- one Bhutanese fellow who was interviewed about night hunting said, "Yes, there were cases of some making women pregnant, in which case they had to pay a penalty to the family, like digging up a field or agreeing to get married. Of course, data on gonorrhea and other STDs are not strictly relevant to HIV infection since classical STDs can be successfully treated and are more often asymptomatic in women than in men. Alternatively, you can marry a statue of the god Vishnu, as long as it's made from silver or gold, but banana trees are presumably easier to come upon. After the trial-by-bladder-agony is over, the couple is finally permitted to bathe and take the most satisfying bathroom break of their entire lives, and over a period of months you may forget the secret pile of waste your beloved was forced to shudder out in a corner of your honeymoon suite long enough to bear being in the same room with them again.