Virginity test

A virginity test is the practice and process of determining whether a person, usually a girl or woman, is a virgin; i.e., whether she has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The test typically involves a check for the presence of an intact hymen, on the assumption that it can only be torn as a result of sexual intercourse.

Virginity testing is widely considered controversial, both because of its implications for the tested girls and women and because it is viewed as unethical. In cases of suspected rape or child sexual abuse, a detailed examination of the hymen may be performed, but the condition of the hymen alone is often inconclusive.

The process of virginity testing varies by region. In areas where medical doctors are readily available, such as Turkey before the country banned the practice, the tests would often be given in a doctor's office. However, in countries where doctors are not available, testers will often be older women, or whoever can be trusted to search for a hymen. This is common among African tribes that perform the test.

Another form of virginity testing involves testing for laxity of vaginal muscles with fingers (the "two-finger test"). A doctor performs the test by inserting a finger into the female's vagina to check the level of vaginal laxity, which is used to determine if she is "habituated to sexual intercourse". However, the usefulness of these criteria has been questioned by medical authorities and opponents of virginity testing because vaginal laxity and the absence of a hymen can both be caused by other factors, and the "two-finger test" is based on subjective observation. In virginity tests, the presence of a hymen is often used to determine if a woman is a virgin.

Examinations to test for previous sexual activity are commonly performed in India on rape victims. The Supreme Court of India has held that the two-finger test on a rape victim violates her right to privacy, and asked the Indian government to provide better medical procedures to confirm sexual assault. Human Rights Watch had strongly criticized the test as "degrading and unscientific" and a second assault on traumatized women, and raised concerns about Indian courts bringing views of rape victims' general moral character into their rulings.

Among the Bantu of South Africa, virginity testing or even the suturing of the labia majora (called infibulation) has been commonplace. Traditionally, Kenuzi girls (of the Sudan) are married before puberty by adult men who inspect them manually for virginity.

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Wikipedia