Why global health bodies kick against virginity test
The World Health Organization and the United Nations Women and the Human Rights office say virginal test which it calls a “medically unnecessary” procedure have been documented in at least 20 countries across the world.
The testing which often involves inspecting the hymen or inserting fingers into the vagina cannot conclusively prove that a woman or a girl has vaginal intercourse, says the WHO.
Princess Simelela, WHO’s assistant director-general for Family, Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, said with support from health systems and governments, people can recognise that ‘virginity testing’ has no medical or clinical bases, refuse to carry out the harmful practice and educate the public about this.
The WHO official also said that, in doing so, they would be “upholding the Hippocratic Oath of ‘do no harm’ and safeguarding the human rights of girls and women in their care”.
Virginity testing is a gynaecological examination conducted under the belief that it determines whether a woman or girl has had vaginal intercourse.
The term “virginity” is not a medical or scientific term. Rather, the concept of “virginity” is a social, cultural and religious construct – one that reflects gender discrimination against women and girls.
Virginity testing is often performed by inspecting the hymen for tears or its size of opening, and/or inserting fingers into the vagina, often called the “two-finger” test. Both techniques are practiced under the belief that the appearance of the female genitalia can indicate a girl’s or woman’s history of sexual activity.
Privacy rights
The UN bodies explained that, these examinations are not only a violation of women’s and girls’ human rights, but in cases of rape can cause additional pain and mimic the original act of sexual violence, leading to re-experience, re-traumatization and re-victimization.
Many women suffer from adverse short- and long-term physical, psychological and social consequences of this practice. This includes anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. In extreme cases, women or girls may attempt suicide or be killed in the name of “honour.
Performing this medically unnecessary and harmful test violates several human rights and ethical standards including the fundamental principle in medicine to ‘do no harm’. WHO recommends that this test should not be performed under any circumstances and called on governments, health professionals and communities to act to eliminate the practice.
Growing trend
Virginity testing is a long-standing tradition that has been documented in at least 20 countries spanning all regions of the world. Women and girls are subjected, and often forced, to undergo virginity testing for various reasons.
These include requests from parents or potential partners to establish marriage eligibility or from employers for employment eligibility.
It is mostly performed by doctors, police officers, or community leaders on women and girls in order to assess their virtue, honour or social value. In some regions, it is common practice for health professionals to perform virginity testing on victims of rape, supposedly to ascertain whether or not rape occurred.
Global rights bodies say there is an urgent need to raise awareness among health professionals and communities of the detrimental effects of performing this test on women and girls as it lack of scientific validity, and the need to eliminate its use.
Some governments have banned virginity testing and enacted laws to criminally punish those who perform the examination. Many professional health associations and human rights organizations have condemned this practice as unscientific and a violation of women’s and girls’ rights.
The UN encourages governments to enact and enforce laws that ban virginity testing, communities and all relevant stakeholders are encouraged to implement awareness campaigns that challenge myths related to virginity and harmful gender norms that place emphasis on control of women’s and girls’ sexuality and bodies.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH