Hymen repair surgery and virginity testing banned in UK
Laura In my opinion, it's not a government's business.
Exactly. You know I think that if nobody is being abused, then almost all is OK.
I think that government have to attack abuses, but banning an entire practice only because sometimes there are abuses is exaggerated.
@Sin opened a very interesting thread.
I understand the value of virginity on a personal level, but the point is it's very, very difficult to prove medically. Far harder than most people realise. Consider these findings...
In a study of 26 pregnant adolescents who reported sexual abuse, 22 participants (64%) had normal or nonspecific genital examination findings, eight (22%) had inconclusive findings, four (8%) had suggestive findings, and only two (6%) had findings of definite evidence of vaginal penetration.
In a case study involving 192 sex abuse victims and 200 virgins, presence or absence of 21 different hymenal or vulvar features was compared between the two groups, such as presence of hymenal tissue, transections, perforations, and notches. It was found that only 2.5% of physical exam findings were unique to the group with a history of penetration.
In a study of forensic physicians in Turkey, 66% of respondents reported that their findings from at least one virginity exam contradicted a recent virginity exam of the same patient.
In the US, 137 pediatric chief residents were asked to identify the hymen on a photograph of pediatric anatomy; only 64% were able to correctly identify the structure.
If 64℅ of senior doctors are unable to identify it, what hope does a police officer, a prison warden, a nurse or (heaven forbid), a groom's mother have of getting the diagnosis correct?
Source: https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-017-0319-0
(A systematic review of 1269 independent studies on virginity testing).
Sin
Well, it is very interesting, I have saved even some tables, but I see a major weakness, they do not talk about possible injuries of membrane due masturbation, and a great part of study is about consequences of forced virginity test, terrible and unjustified consequences.
However it is a massive study, I will read it later again.
Laura But cultural traditions
A tradition which has the same result as when you flip a coin. It can bring shame on a woman who has not had sex.
Ines I think that it is something very valuable,
No one is disputing your view here. That is not the point. The virginity test is unreliable and this is the problem.
Laura In my opinion, it's not a government's business.
If this leads to exclusion, psychological problems, suicides or crimes, it is the state's task to do something about it.
Joh That is not the point. The virginity test is unreliable and this is the problem.
Well, I am a bit surprised about so much physicians neglecting identifying the membrane.
However, it is true that in Medicine School do not train us for this, and maybe is a practice for doctors with some experience in the field.
Obviously I can not I refute the study since I do not have any, but I do perceive a certain bias due to ideology.
When they talk about the failures of the doctors, they do not say whether it is due to lack of training or due to the effective lack of differences between the membranes, and, which may be logical out of modesty, possible habits that have destroyed the hymen of these women are not specified, also accepting their version without contrast.
The truth is that the fear with which they face the consequences of failing these tests is terrifying.
There is no right to that either.
Laura You know, that it's not. Probability is much higher than 50%
As far as I understood it right the probability for a wrong non-virginity result is much higher.
Kellog et al. studied a cohort in the United States with definitive evidence of previous vaginal penetration. In the study of 26 pregnant adolescents who reported sexual abuse, 22 participants (64%) had normal or nonspecific genital examination findings, eight (22%) had inconclusive findings, four (8%) had suggestive findings, and two (6%) had findings of definite evidence of vaginal penetration [23].
64% clearly wrong and only 8% rite that she is no virgin.
Ines they do not talk about possible injuries of membrane due masturbation
There is a thesis for your final year of medicine!
I can't speak for others but I would guess that most girls would just want to play the downstairs DJ, rather than explore the depths of the bat cave... especially at a young age.
Best to keep your nails short just in case though!
I hate this comment and I think it is wrong. Lots of very wrong comments are posted here but not normally by you. Criminals in prison are still people. Their punishment is to be locked away from society not dehumanised. Not forced into mandatory hymen checks.
Jen
I guess we can not agree in everything...
Of course they are persons, but I am not talking about miss treat them but about certain discipline.
Time in jail can not be "leisure" time in my opinion.
I am a little surprised that you consider that because I didn't allow those habits in prison, I didn't consider those girls people.
I think you give much more importance to this point than me.
First of all I would like to thank @Sin, a very interesting topic.
To be honest, I'm a little surprised because I think they're two completely different things. I personally don't think much of virginity tests because the hymen can also tear through other activities. but i think the restoration of the hymen is something that can also be beautiful. For example, if I were to be raped, I would like to have that option.
i think it's right when the state takes action, when it happens against a woman's will and in any case when violence plays a role, but what about those who want it voluntarily?
I see it frankly like @Laura. It's none of the state's business, it's not a medical issue, as has already been correctly written here, but an emotional one. I frankly find it disgusting when a government presumes to make decisions about a person's body
I could write more about this, but I don't want to write about being politically enraged again, so I'll leave it at that
Angelina They do it in Turkey under the guise of obtaining evidence of sexual assault whilst in custody... the fact that the act itself constitutes assault seems to be lost on them. Or perhaps that's the point...
It's prevalent thoughout Muslim countries (Egypt, Iran, Indonesia to name a few), and perhaps not surprisingly, many conservative Christian countries like Russia.