myths and misconceptions on albinism
(sourced from different papers/sites on the web)
surrounding albinism in different parts of Africa includes:
Myth: That the mother slept with a white man.
Fact: This is not true. Children born with albinism may look ‘white’ due to absent or reduced pigmentation but are not products of cross race relationships.
Myth: That a child born with albinism is conceived when a woman has intercourse while she is menstruating.
6 Joan Delaney, Albinos under Siege in Tanzania: Witchcraft behind rash of killings 3 Dec, 2008, Epoch Times,
www.theepochtimes.com
7 Mars group, Mother jailed for killing albino baby, www.marsgroupkenya.org/youth/index.php?option=com
8 Kemi Yesufu, Nigeria: Our Ordeal as Albinos, http://allafrica.com/stories/200903190436.html
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Fact: This is biologically impossible.
Myth: That albinism occurs for people who fail to eat salt.
Fact: Albinism is a genetic condition and has nothing to do with salt.
Myth: That albinism is a punishment or a curse from the gods or ancestral spirits due to wrongs done in the family
Fact: Albinism is a genetic condition that is passed on from parents to children. Many people are carriers of this recessive gene. Albinism is not a curse.
Myth: Persons with albinism cannot see during the day but see well at night.
Fact: Persons with albinism have visual impairments due to lack of melanin pigmentation in the retina. They can see during the day and also at night though they may either be short or long sighted and may need sight aids.
Myth: That people living with albinism are blind
Fact: Persons living with albinism are not necessarily blind but all forms of albinism are associated with some form of vision impairment9. However they have enough vision to carry out daily living activities albeit with a variety of challenges.
Myth: That body parts of persons living with albinism make potent charms that can make people rich and successful
Fact: This is absolutely not true. It is a myth spread by witchdoctors in order to enrich themselves at the expense of others.
Myth: That drinking the blood of a person with albinism gives extra magical powers
Fact: This is not true. Persons with albinism are just human beings like anyone else and do not possess any magical powers.
Myth: That having sex with a person with albinism can cure HIV/AIDS
Fact: This is not true. Persons with albinism do not possess any healing powers and any ritual rape or unprotected sex with them will only lead to further HIV/AIDS infections.
Myth: That albinism is a contagious condition
Fact: Albinism is a genetic condition and is not contagious even with blood transfusion.
Myth: That a person with albinism cannot have normal pigmented children
Fact: A person with albinism can give birth to normally pigmented children if his/her partner is not a carrier of a similar recessive gene for albinism. The children may be carriers of the recessive gene but it will not be expressed in them.
Myth: That persons with albinism are sterile.
Fact: This is not true. Persons with albinism are fertile and can have children like other people.
Myth: That persons with albinism don’t die, they simply vanish
Fact: Persons with albinism die like all other normally pigmented people.
Myth: That persons with albinism are only found within people of black race.
Fact: This is not true as albinism is found in all races. However some parts of Africa seem to have higher prevalence rates than other parts of the world.
Myth: That persons with albinism normally have
