Xhosa Boys Undertake Manhood Rituals

393209 08: Young Xhosa boys practice traditional stickfighting during a manhood initiation December 11, 2000 in Bisho, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Every year, thousands of Xhosa boys go to the bush for about 3-4 weeks to become men. They are circumcised the first day and are not allowed to eat or drink for the first seven days. It has become a lucrative business and many unskilled "doctors" put pressure on the boys and their families to do it at an early age. Some traditional nurses use a razor blade and the infection rate is high for HIV-AIDS. (Photo by Per-Anders Pettersson/ Getty Images)