When Rose Mukama was 12 years old, she used to wish that she was older so she could be wiser, do things well and live a better life. Now she is turning 27 and wishes she were younger.

The thought of turning 27 next month "kills” her. It is coming very fast and the old age is catching up with her.  She is still searching and she has not yet got serious boyfriend. She had a boyfriend in the past but later, she realised he was never serious about marriage.

Rose says she will pick her words carefully if a man asked her how old she is.

"It is very hard to be exact. Many men will not give you attention when you are aged,” says Rose in an interview early this week.

She adds: "Not all women lie. But the fact is that remaining young is something pretty.” 

Rose is not alone. She is like many other young ladies who hide their age because society is hostile to single mothers. When it comes to dating, the first thing men want to know is the girl’s age and woe to her if she is not in her 20s.

"No man would want to marry aged woman because girls grow older quickly after they have had their first born babies,” says Ruth Umurerwa.

"When you are beyond 27 without a husband, society thinks you are a failure,” add Umurerwa.

Psychologists describe this trend as a disorder that has to catch up with every female in life. It’s known as dismorphic disorder or physical distress.

Once a lady reaches her late 20’s, she feels neglected and ugly and this makes her spend most of her time looking in the mirror, seeking cosmetic remedies or even surgical treatment. Elderly men today also seem to be more interested in young girls. They abandon their wives to hunt for young girls. 

"I have celebrated my 23rd birthday for three years now,” says Devine Mutetsi. Indeed many ladies celebrate the same years several times or they’ll just throw birthday balls without mentioning their ages.

"Anyway, who cares, we know women are secretive and sensitive when it comes to mentioning their age,” says Robert, 27. He claims to have gone to more than five ladies’ birthday parties without the girls mentioning their right age.

"One girlfriend amused us. One day, she said she was 21 and after four years, she was still claiming to be 21!” You ask a girl how old she is, at first she doesn’t say anything and when she does, she reduces it.

Edward says that all people lie but it depends the way you package your lie. Sometimes lies bring trouble, warns Edward.  There is this big story where a woman had lied to her husband that she was younger than him.

Later, the wife died and this is the time when it dawned on him that his wife had not told him the right age!

Contact: lillianean@yahoo.com