Virginity Tests Are Killing Women

An investigation by BBC Newsbeat and the 100 Women organisation has revealed that virginity testing, where a woman’s hymen is examined to “determine” whether she has had sexual intercourse, is offered in seven clinics across the United Kingdom.

The BBC questioned 16 clinics. Only seven confirmed that they offered the testing, while all 16 clinics confirmed that they offer “hymen-repair” surgery, which costs between £1500 - £3000 ($1996 - $3992).

Although virginity testing is currently legal in the UK, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations are calling for it to be banned. 

The WHO states that it is not possible to determine whether a woman has had sexual intercourse by looking at her hymen. The hymen can tear for many reasons, including vigorous exercise and tampon use. They added that in many cases, women are forced to take these tests to determine their significance and purity in certain cultures.

This can be deadly.

The Halo Project Charity, a project that supports victims of honor-based violence, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation, reports that 12-15 honour killings take place in the UK each year. The charity states that this number cannot account for individuals who are taken abroad for unknown purposes and do not return, or for schoolchildren who are taken abroad for the purpose of marriage.

National statistics show that South Asian females aged 24 and under are 2-3 times more likely to commit suicide, compared to Caucasian women in the same age bracket. In the UK, several murders of South Asian women and children have been committed due to “dishonour” brought on the family.

Thankfully, some countries are deciding to clamp down on honor-based violence.

Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates removed laws that protected honor killings and honor-based abuse. Formerly, a male relative may have evaded prosecution if his assault was on a female family member that had exhibited "dishonourable” behavior. Now in the UAE, honor killings and honor-based violence will be treated like any other act of violence

These statistics are disheartening, but educating ourselves about honor violence and supporting campaigns and charities that protect women and girls can bring more awareness to the issue.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, you can reach out to these organisations for support:

The Halo Project Charity
Karma Nirvana
Amnesty International

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