Virginity test

A virginity test is the practice and process of inspecting the genitalia of girls and women to determine if they are sexually chaste. It is based on the false assumption that a woman’s hymen can only be torn as a result of sexual intercourse.

Virginity testing is a very controversial practice, primarily because of its implications for tested girls and because it is not necessarily accurate. It is considered a violation of human rights by Amnesty International and is illegal in many countries.

Reasons for testing

According to AVERT, an HIV and AIDS charity, there were an estimated 22 million people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 2007. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has made it necessary for people to find a way to protect themselves and their communities. Chief Naboth Makoni of Zimbabwe, a leader of his people, has taken to enforcing virginity tests as a way of protecting them against HIV. He stated in 2004 that he focuses on girls because they are easier to control than boys. In South Africa, where virginity testing is banned, the Zulu tribe believes that the practice prevents the spread of HIV and teenage pregnancy. A woman interviewed by the Washington Post stated that "[Virginity testing] is important so that young girls become scared of boys. Because what happens is first the boy strips you of your virginity, and the next thing you know is you are pregnant and you have HIV."

Testing process

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 will often be given in a doctor's office. However, in countries where doctors are not available, testers will often be older, respectable women, or whoever can be trusted to search for a hymen. This is common among African tribes that perform the test.

Depending on whether the girl in question is declared a virgin, the aftermath of the test can be joy or anger. In Zulu culture, there is a tradition in which girls of a certain age can perform a dance for the king. However, only virgins are allowed to participate. If a girl is tested and declared a virgin, she brings honor to her family. If a girl is found not to be a virgin, her father may have to pay a fine for ‘tainting’ the community and the girl may be shunned from the ‘certified’ virgins. Because of the ramifications that being considered impure have for the girls and their families, virginity testing has the potential to be a life-changing event.

Controversy

The main concern that health officials have with virginity testing is that it is not an accurate way of determining virginity. Generally, a woman or girl is determined a virgin if her hymen is intact. However, a woman's hymen can be broken or eroded by masturbation and also a number of nonsexual activities, including horseback riding, gymnastics and physical labor. Furthermore, as with most bodily features, the natural appearance of the hymen will vary from one person to the next; it is even possible for a female to be born without a hymen. Thus, the lack of a hymen is not necessarily an indicator that a woman is not a virgin.

Opponents of the practice of virginity testing call it a violation of human rights. For example, Amnesty International listed virginity testing as a form of violence against women. The same article stated that more than 90% of 118 doctors interviewed in a 1999 survey said that virginity tests were psychologically traumatic for the patient. Over 50% of these doctors also reported that the majority of the tests were not given with the patient's consent and agreement.

There are also concerns about hygiene during virginity testing. An anthropologist attending a virginity testing event in Durban, South Africa noticed that one of the testers used the same pair of gloves for all 85 girls. As many diseases can be spread by the transmission of bodily fluids in this way, these tests could be dangerous for the girls undergoing them.

Virginity testing is illegal in some countries. However, these bans, such as the ones in South Africa, are frequently flouted. Virginity testing was banned in Turkey in 1999, after five teen-aged girls who had been threatened with tests attempted suicide.