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Virginity test

A virginity test is a gynecological examination of the female genitalia, often termed a "two-finger" or per vaginal inspection, intended to ascertain whether a woman or girl has experienced vaginal intercourse by evaluating the hymen's condition or other purported physical markers of virginity.^[1]^[2] These procedures rely on the erroneous assumption that an intact hymen definitively signals virginity, ignoring empirical evidence of the tissue's high variability in shape, elasticity, and resilience across individuals, which renders it an unreliable diagnostic tool.^[3]^[4] Systematic reviews of medical literature confirm that hymen examination cannot accurately predict sexual history, as the membrane may remain intact post-intercourse or rupture from non-penetrative activities like sports or tampon use, leading organizations such as the World Health Organization to classify the practice as pseudoscientific with no clinical merit.^[1]^[5] Despite widespread condemnation for violating bodily autonomy and causing documented psychological trauma, virginity testing endures in select cultural rituals, employment screenings, asylum claims, and legal proceedings in various regions, prompting interagency calls for global elimination due to its discriminatory enforcement predominantly against females.^[6]^[7]

Definition and Methods

Core Concept

A virginity test is a procedure aimed at determining whether a female has experienced vaginal sexual intercourse, typically through inspection of the external genitalia, with a focus on the hymen—a thin, elastic mucosal membrane partially covering the vaginal introitus. The core assumption underlying the test is that an intact or imperforate hymen signifies virginity, while tears, stretching, or absence of the membrane indicate prior penetration.^[8] This examination is conducted by medical professionals, such as physicians or midwives, and may involve visual assessment alone or combined with manual palpation, including the "two-finger" method where digits are inserted into the vagina to evaluate laxity or capacity.^[2]^[6] The practice presupposes that vaginal intercourse causes irreversible physical changes to the hymen or vaginal architecture that are distinguishable from non-coital factors, such as tampon use, sports, or congenital variations. For instance, proponents historically claimed that a narrow introitus or visible hymenal edges prove chastity, whereas a widened opening or scarring suggests defloration.^[3] However, the procedure's foundational logic equates anatomical virginity—absence of penetrative sex—with observable traits, often ignoring the hymen's variability across individuals and its responsiveness to non-sexual trauma or natural atrophy. This conceptual framework has persisted despite empirical challenges, positioning the test as a diagnostic tool for virginity in contexts like premarital assessments or legal inquiries into sexual assault.^[7] In essence, virginity testing embodies a binary model of female sexual history, reducing it to genital morphology verifiable by external or internal probing, without reliance on self-reported history or physiological markers like hormone levels. Such tests are almost exclusively applied to females, reflecting cultural equations of virginity with hymenal integrity rather than reciprocal male assessment.^[10] The procedure's simplicity—requiring no advanced equipment—facilitates its use in resource-limited settings, though it demands subjective interpretation by the examiner.^[11]

Primary Techniques

The primary techniques of virginity testing consist of gynecological examinations focused on the external and internal female genitalia, typically conducted by physicians, nurses, or midwives.^[8] The most common method involves visual inspection of the hymen, where the examiner assesses the membrane's appearance, including its size, shape, elasticity, and presence or absence of tears or notches, under the assumption that an intact hymen indicates virginity.^[2] This inspection may use a speculum for better visualization or occur without instruments in less formal settings, and it often occurs in contexts such as premarital checks, rape allegations, or immigration screenings.^[1] A second prevalent technique is the two-finger test (also termed per vaginal examination), in which the examiner inserts one or two fingers into the vagina to evaluate the introitus size, vaginal wall laxity, or muscle tone, positing that penetrative sexual activity results in detectable enlargement or looseness.^[2] ^[1] This manual digital examination, documented in medical reports from regions including South Asia and parts of Africa as of 2017, carries risks of discomfort, infection, or trauma due to its invasive nature.^[2] Less frequently, ancillary assessments like measuring hymenal orifice diameter with calipers or observing responses to pressure have been reported, though these lack standardization.^[8] These procedures, outlined in global health agency statements from 2018, are performed without consent in coercive scenarios and rely on outdated anatomical presumptions, with no validated protocols established in peer-reviewed gynecology literature.^[1]

Scientific Validity

Biological Assumptions

Virginity tests, particularly those focused on females, rest on the biological assumption that an intact hymen serves as a reliable indicator of prior penile-vaginal intercourse, with the tissue purportedly rupturing exclusively or predominantly during first-time sexual penetration, thereby marking the loss of virginity.^[11] This premise equates virginity status with observable hymenal morphology, such as the presence of a thin, annular membrane covering the vaginal orifice, and presumes that any deviation—such as tears, stretching, or absence—results from coital activity.^[2] However, the hymen is embryologically a remnant of the Müllerian ducts, exhibiting high inter-individual variability in shape, thickness, and elasticity from birth, influenced by genetics, hormones, and developmental factors rather than solely sexual history.^[12] Empirical anatomical studies demonstrate that the hymen does not consistently tear during initial intercourse; in some cases, it stretches elastically without visible damage due to its fibrous, vascular composition, allowing accommodation without rupture.^[12] Conversely, non-coital activities, including tampon insertion, cycling, gymnastics, or even horseback riding, can cause tears or microtrauma in up to 30-50% of adolescents before sexual debut, as documented in forensic examinations of non-sexually active youth.^[12] ^[2] Systematic reviews of clinical data confirm no statistically significant correlation between hymenal configuration and virginity, with false positives (non-virgins deemed virgin) and false negatives (virgins deemed non-virgin) occurring frequently across diverse populations.^[2] ^[11] These assumptions overlook physiological healing processes, where hymenal edges may cicatrize or appear healed post-trauma, mimicking intact states, and ignore congenital anomalies like microperforate or septate hymens that persist irrespective of sexual activity.^[12] Peer-reviewed forensic analyses further establish that hymen examination lacks diagnostic specificity or sensitivity for virginity, as no empirical threshold exists for distinguishing coital from non-coital alterations, rendering the test pseudoscientific in biological terms.^[12] ^[2] While male virginity lacks analogous physical markers, tests occasionally invoke assumptions of seminal fluid absence or erectile function, though these are equally unsubstantiated by anatomy, as semen production begins at puberty independently of intercourse.^[11]

Empirical Assessments

Empirical assessments, including systematic reviews of clinical studies, consistently demonstrate that hymen examinations fail to reliably determine virginity status. A 2017 systematic review of 17 studies from diverse contexts found that hymen examination does not accurately predict whether an individual has experienced penile-vaginal penetration, with normal or non-specific genital findings common among both virgins and those with reported sexual histories.^[2] For instance, one included study reported that only 2.5% of physical exam findings were unique to girls with a history of penetration, while 64% of pregnant adolescents with confirmed penetration histories exhibited normal or non-specific genital findings, and just 6% of 957 girls reporting penetration showed abnormal findings.^[2] No studies in the review provided sensitivity or specificity metrics supporting the test's validity, as hymenal variations—such as elasticity, congenital absence, or alterations from non-sexual activities like tampon use or sports—render interpretations inconclusive.^[2] ^[12] A 2019 analysis reinforced this, noting that 52% of sexually active adolescents displayed no hymenal changes, and only 4% of confirmed child sexual abuse cases showed abnormal exams, with 2.1% exhibiting visible hymenal lesions attributable to abuse; non-penetrative causes frequently mimic or obscure such signs.^[12] Professional medical bodies, drawing on this evidence, affirm the absence of scientific merit. The World Health Organization, in a 2018 interagency statement, concluded there is no evidential basis for hymen-based or two-finger tests to prove vaginal intercourse, as anatomical outcomes vary widely irrespective of sexual history.^[6] The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists similarly deems virginity testing medically invalid, lacking any diagnostic utility.^[13] These assessments highlight virginity testing as pseudoscientific, prone to false negatives and positives, with potential for physical pain, psychological trauma, and social repercussions reported across reviewed cases.^[2]

Historical Context

Pre-Modern Origins

In ancient Greece, legal codes such as those from Crete distinguished penalties for sexual assault based on the victim's virginity status, with fines of two staters for virgins versus one obol for non-virgins, reflecting a cultural emphasis on premarital chastity without detailing physical verification methods.^[14] Accounts from Herodotus around 450 BC described indirect eligibility tests among Scythian groups, where women proved readiness for marriage only after killing an enemy in battle, underscoring virginity's symbolic tie to martial prowess rather than anatomical inspection.^[14] Roman society valued virginity for priestesses like the Vestal Virgins, who swore 30-year chastity vows to maintain the sacred hearth fire, with violations punishable by live burial; however, routine testing relied on oversight and folklore, such as mythical sieve-carrying trials for accused impurity, rather than systematic exams.^[14] Early Christian and Greco-Roman medical traditions, including texts attributed to Hippocrates, explored physiological signs like nipple firmness or urine analysis, positing that virgins' urine appeared clear and sparkling while that of sexually experienced women turned turbid.^[15] Medieval European practices formalized verification for marriage, inheritance, and rape trials, often via juries of matrons conducting manual hymen inspections to detect an intact seal, though this overlooked natural variations or non-penetrative causes of rupture.^[16] Post-consummation bedsheets bearing blood stains served as public proof, displayed in ceremonies like that following Katherine of Aragon's 1509 wedding to Arthur, Prince of Wales, to affirm virginity and secure alliances despite forgery risks using animal blood or pigments.^[16] Thirteenth-century medical compendia, such as De Secretis Mulierum, advocated indirect assessments including urine color and sediment—lucid and white for virgins—or demeanor markers like downcast eyes, modest gait, and aversion to male gaze, avoiding invasive probes to preserve delicacy.^[15] Folkloric methods persisted, such as the sieve test where virgins allegedly retained water during transport, symbolizing purity in art and legend, or diuretic challenges where retention signaled chastity.^[16] Among Iberian Roma communities, the Gitanos ritual examined wedding sheets for blood alongside a purported vaginal "Uva" gland secreting yellowish fluid, blending physical and ceremonial elements from medieval traditions.^[14] These approaches prioritized social assurance over empirical accuracy, frequently yielding manipulable or pseudoscientific outcomes.^[16]^[15]

Modern Applications and Shifts

In the 20th and early 21st centuries, virginity testing persisted in various cultural and institutional settings, particularly in parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, often tied to marriage customs or employment requirements. In Iran, as of 2022, many women underwent mandatory medical virginity tests prior to marriage to obtain certificates confirming virginity, rooted in societal expectations of premarital chastity. Similarly, in Morocco, the practice continued into the 2020s as part of wedding rituals, where families demanded gynecological examinations to verify a bride's virginity, sometimes involving invasive procedures performed by doctors. In Turkey, women faced social pressure to submit to tests to avoid assumptions of non-virginity, with refusals carrying reputational risks into the 2010s. These applications reflected ongoing patriarchal norms linking female virginity to family honor, despite emerging global scrutiny. Military and employment contexts also featured virginity testing in select nations during this period. Indonesia's armed forces required female recruits to undergo such tests until 2022, when the practice was officially ended following advocacy highlighting its abusiveness and lack of evidentiary value; the tests involved genital inspections to enforce perceived chastity among servicewomen. In Mongolia, as late as 2022, rural schools subjected teenage girls to virginity checks, ostensibly for health or moral education, prompting local resistance and international condemnation. Such uses underscored institutional enforcement of gender-based purity standards, often without consent or medical justification. Significant shifts toward abolition accelerated from the 2010s onward, driven by human rights frameworks and scientific critiques. In 2018, the World Health Organization, alongside UN agencies including UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, and UN Women, issued a joint statement declaring virginity testing a violation of human rights, lacking scientific validity for determining sexual history, and recommending its global elimination due to physical and psychological harms like pain, infection risk, and trauma. National reforms followed: Pakistan's Lahore High Court banned "two-finger" tests on rape survivors in 2021, ruling them unscientific and humiliating. Indonesia discontinued military tests in 2022, aligning with WHO guidelines. In India, the Chhattisgarh High Court held in March 2025 that forcing virginity tests violates Article 21's right to privacy and dignity. Sweden proposed criminalizing the practice, along with virginity certificates and hymenoplasty, in April 2025 to protect bodily autonomy. These changes marked a causal pivot from cultural tolerance to legal prohibition, influenced by empirical evidence of the hymen's variability unrelated to intercourse—such as from sports or anatomy—and mounting documentation of discriminatory impacts, though enforcement varies and underground persistence occurs in conservative regions.

Global Prevalence

Virginity testing is documented in at least 20 countries across all world regions, with practices persisting despite international condemnation from bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations agencies.^[6] The procedure appears most entrenched in Asia and the Middle East, where cultural norms emphasizing premarital chastity for women drive its application, often in contexts like marriage certification or employment screening.^[8] In these areas, it is frequently performed by medical professionals on request from families or authorities, though exact prevalence figures remain elusive due to underreporting, stigma, and varying legal statuses.^[2] In Africa, virginity testing occurs in nations including South Africa, Egypt, and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), where it has been linked to HIV prevention campaigns promoting abstinence, though evidence shows no public health benefit.^[17] Reports from Egypt highlight allegations of forced testing by security forces as recently as 2014, amid political unrest.^[18] Similarly, in the Middle East, Iran mandates medical virginity examinations for some women prior to marriage as of 2022, with certificates required to confirm intact hymens.^[19] Morocco has seen ongoing campaigns against the practice for brides as of 2021, indicating its persistence in familial and social vetting.^[20] Asia reports include mandatory school-based testing in Turkmenistan's Balkan province targeting female high school students in 2024, justified by officials for moral evaluation.^[21] In Indonesia, military and police forces conducted tests on female recruits in 2024 to enforce chastity standards.^[22] Mongolia documented school-imposed tests on teenage girls as late as 2022, despite UN criticism.^[23] Even in Western contexts like the United States, a 2022 survey of women found a 4.5% self-reported prevalence, primarily among minors pressured by families, underscoring sporadic occurrence beyond traditional regions.^[24] Comprehensive global statistics are limited, as systematic reviews note reliance on anecdotal and regional data rather than large-scale epidemiological studies.^[25]

Rationales in Practice

In cultural contexts, virginity testing is often justified as a means to verify an unmarried woman's chastity, which is viewed as a marker of her moral integrity and familial honor prior to marriage. Practitioners and communities in regions such as Turkey and parts of South Asia rationalize the procedure as essential for ensuring marital eligibility and preventing deception by confirming the absence of prior sexual activity, thereby safeguarding social value and lineage purity.^[3]^[26] For instance, among certain ethnic groups like the Kanjarbhat in India, post-wedding inspections of bedsheets for bloodstains serve as a communal rationale to affirm the bride's virginity, with failure potentially leading to social ostracism or violence to enforce accountability.^[27] Legally, virginity exams have been rationalized in some jurisdictions to evaluate claims in sexual assault cases, particularly to corroborate victim testimony or assess accusations of premarital non-virginity. In historical and select modern applications, such as in Egypt or Turkey, authorities have cited the test as a tool to determine credibility in rape allegations by inferring prior sexual history, under the assumption that an intact hymen undermines false claims.^[8] This practice persists despite scientific critiques, with proponents arguing it provides evidentiary support in systems where forensic alternatives are limited, though empirical reviews indicate inconsistent application and reliance on cultural presumptions rather than biological proof.^[3] Additional rationales in practice include parental or partner demands to certify virginity for arranged marriages or to mitigate risks of infidelity, as reported in clinical encounters where women seek exams out of fear of social repercussions. In military settings, such as U.S. cases involving recruits or Afghan contexts, tests have been defended as measures to enforce discipline and identify prostitution risks among personnel, prioritizing unit cohesion over individual privacy.^[8]^[28] These justifications, drawn from ethnographic and medical accounts, reflect causal beliefs in hymen integrity as a proxy for behavior, though they are contested by international bodies emphasizing procedural harms without corresponding reliability.^[6]

Legal Frameworks

National and International Laws

No binding international treaty explicitly prohibits virginity testing, but United Nations agencies including the World Health Organization, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, and UN Women issued a joint interagency statement on October 17, 2018, urging its worldwide elimination as a pseudoscientific practice that constitutes a human rights violation. The statement highlights infringements on rights to bodily autonomy, privacy under Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and freedom from torture or cruel treatment per the Convention Against Torture, while noting documented physical trauma such as vaginal lacerations and psychological effects like anxiety and shame.^[6]^[29] Implementation relies on broader frameworks like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which addresses harmful gender-based practices, though enforcement varies due to state sovereignty and cultural norms. National laws exhibit wide variation, with explicit bans or restrictions primarily targeting use in criminal investigations, employment, or cultural rituals, often framed as violations of dignity and privacy. In the United Kingdom, the Health and Care Act 2022 outlawed virginity testing and hymenoplasty, effective July 1, 2022, imposing up to five years' imprisonment for performers, facilitators, or those requesting tests on individuals under 18, or without consent otherwise; the law also voids immigration-related virginity requirements.^[30] In India, the Supreme Court prohibited the two-finger test—a common virginity examination method—on rape survivors in its 2013 Lillu @ Rajesh v. State of Haryana ruling, deeming it violative of privacy, dignity, and Article 21 of the Constitution; the 2022 State of Jharkhand v. Shgivesh Kumar decision reinforced this by classifying its conduct as professional misconduct punishable under medical ethics codes.^[31] In Pakistan, the Lahore High Court banned such tests on sexual assault survivors in January 2021 as unscientific and dignity-violating, with the Supreme Court in May 2021 declaring the two-finger test unconstitutional under Articles 4 and 14 of the Constitution, prohibiting its evidentiary use.^[32] Bangladesh criminalized virginity testing in 2018 via amendments to its anti-rape laws, while Afghanistan enacted a similar prohibition that year, though reports indicate inconsistent enforcement amid conflict.^[32] South Africa's Children's Act 38 of 2005 bans virginity testing of girls under 16, requiring counseling for any post-16 procedures, but lacks a comprehensive prohibition for adults, prompting calls from human rights bodies for total abolition due to ongoing cultural prevalence.^[33] In contrast, countries like Turkey and Egypt permit or tolerate the practice in contexts such as premarital assessments or military conscription without statutory bans, despite domestic court challenges and international pressure.^[26]

Enforcement and Reforms

Enforcement of virginity testing has historically involved state-sanctioned medical examinations, often conducted by police, forensic doctors, or military personnel in contexts such as rape investigations, adultery suspicions, immigration screenings, or recruitment processes. In Pakistan, prior to 2021, police routinely ordered "two-finger" tests on rape survivors to assess prior sexual activity, frequently leading to accusations of fornication against victims rather than pursuing assailants.^[34] Similarly, in Afghanistan, despite official prohibitions, law enforcement authorities continued invasive per vaginal examinations on women detained for moral crimes or suspected immorality as late as 2017.^[35] In Indonesia, until at least 2015, female applicants to police and military academies underwent mandatory virginity checks as a condition of entry, justified by officials as ensuring moral fitness.^[36] Cultural enforcement persists in regions like South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, where Zulu traditional healers perform public virginity inspections on girls as young as 10 during annual ceremonies, defying age restrictions despite legal limits.^[37] Reforms have accelerated since the 2010s, driven by international health organizations and domestic courts recognizing the procedure's lack of scientific validity and its violation of bodily autonomy. In October 2018, the World Health Organization, alongside UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, and UN Women, issued a joint interagency statement declaring virginity testing medically unfounded—incapable of reliably proving sexual history—and calling for its global elimination as a form of gender-based violence.^[6] Pakistan's Supreme Court followed in January 2021, prohibiting the two-finger test in sexual assault cases, deeming it unscientific and violative of privacy rights, though implementation challenges remain due to entrenched police practices.^[34] The United Kingdom enacted a comprehensive ban in 2022 under the Health and Care Act, criminalizing the performance, offering, or facilitation of virginity testing or related hymenoplasty procedures anywhere in the UK, with guidance issued to agencies for victim identification and support.^[38] Further reforms include South Africa's 2008 Children's Act, which banned virginity testing for girls under 16 to curb child exploitation in cultural rituals, though compliance is inconsistent amid community resistance.^[37] In India, 2013 amendments to evidence laws barred the use of a woman's sexual history, including virginity test results, in rape trials, addressing prior abuses in tribal and forensic contexts.^[39] The United States lacks federal prohibitions, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists aligned with WHO guidelines in 2020, advising against the practice due to its ethical and evidentiary flaws.^[13] Despite these advances, enforcement gaps persist where cultural or institutional norms override bans, as evidenced by ongoing reports from Human Rights Watch of forced tests in detention settings in countries like Libya.^[40]

Debates and Impacts

Criticisms from Rights and Health Angles

Virginity testing has been widely condemned by international organizations as a violation of fundamental human rights, including the rights to bodily integrity, privacy, and freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. In an October 2018 interagency statement, the World Health Organization (WHO), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNAIDS, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and UN Women jointly called for its global elimination, classifying it as a harmful practice that disproportionately targets women and girls and constitutes gender-based violence.^[1] The procedure often involves non-consensual gynecological examinations, such as the "two-finger" test, which infringe on autonomy and can be performed under duress in contexts like employment screening, marriage eligibility, or criminal investigations, exacerbating power imbalances.^[6] These assessments are deemed unethical by bodies like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which aligns with WHO in rejecting them as incompatible with medical ethics and patient rights.^[13] From a health perspective, virginity testing lacks scientific validity, as the hymen's appearance does not reliably indicate prior sexual activity; it can vary naturally, stretch without tearing during intercourse, or rupture due to non-sexual causes like sports or tampon use. A 2017 systematic review of nine studies concluded that no evidence supports its accuracy in detecting virginity, rendering it pseudoscientific and ineffective for any purported diagnostic purpose.^[2] Physically, the invasive examination can cause immediate pain, bruising, bleeding, hymenal damage, and infection risks, particularly when conducted by unqualified practitioners without proper hygiene or lubrication.^[3] Psychologically, it inflicts long-term trauma, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social stigma, with studies documenting examinees' experiences of humiliation and reinforced victim-blaming in assault cases.^[6] These harms compound when tests yield false results, leading to ostracism, honor-based violence, or mental health deterioration without providing any clinical benefit.^[41]

Potential Benefits and Defenses

Proponents of virginity testing, particularly in traditional Zulu communities in South Africa, argue that the practice promotes sexual abstinence among girls, thereby reducing HIV transmission rates in regions with high prevalence.^[42] Cultural advocates like Nomagugu Ngobese, a virginity tester, have defended its continuation as a grassroots response to the epidemic, stating, "We are going ahead with our virginity testing because we have nothing else," amid limited alternative public health interventions.^[42] In KwaZulu-Natal, girls passing the test receive certificates and marks, purportedly incentivizing delayed sexual debut and serving as a community-endorsed prevention strategy.^[17] Historically, virginity verification on wedding nights has been rationalized as ensuring paternity certainty, especially under systems like primogeniture where the eldest son's legitimacy determined inheritance.^[43] In medieval Western contexts, inspections of bedsheets for blood were justified to confirm a bride's prior chastity, safeguarding family lineage and property transfer.^[43] Similar cultural defenses persist in societies emphasizing family honor, where testing is viewed as validating marriage contracts and deterring premarital intercourse by tying female purity to social value.^[2] In employment and institutional settings, some administrators in countries like Indonesia have mandated tests for roles such as civil servants or nurses to enforce perceived moral standards, claiming it prevents misconduct and upholds organizational integrity.^[10] Iranian midwives surveyed in 2023 identified potential roles in promoting abstinence to delay marriage-related sexual activity and curb sexually transmitted infections, though a majority deemed it non-therapeutic overall.^[44] A minority supported its use in forensic contexts, with 81.9% endorsing it for rape investigations to corroborate claims of prior virginity.^[44] Defenders in cultural relativist frameworks assert that abolishing such practices erodes community self-determination, framing testing as an expression of ethnic identity rather than coercion, particularly among Zulu groups reviving rituals like the Nomkhubulwana festival.^[42] These arguments prioritize local norms over universal prohibitions, positing indirect benefits like reduced teen pregnancies and enhanced self-respect through reinforced chastity ideals.^[42] In Islamic-influenced societies, virginity is culturally linked to familial honor and premarital purity, with some viewing examinations as protective measures against social stigma, though not explicitly mandated by religious texts.^[45]

Empirical Outcomes

Scientific evaluations consistently demonstrate that virginity tests, which typically involve visual or manual inspection of the hymen, fail to reliably indicate prior vaginal intercourse. A 2017 systematic review of 21 studies from 1946 to 2016 found no evidence that hymen examination accurately or reliably predicts virginity status, with variations in hymen appearance attributable to factors unrelated to sexual activity, such as congenital differences, physical trauma, or tampon use.^[2] Similarly, a 2019 analysis by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics concluded that such examinations have no clinical or scientific value for assessing virginity, as the hymen's elasticity and regenerative capacity preclude definitive judgments.^[5] The World Health Organization, in a 2018 interagency statement, affirmed that neither hymen inspection nor "two-finger" per vaginal exams provide evidence of prior intercourse, emphasizing the absence of validated diagnostic criteria.^[1] Empirical data on physical health outcomes reveal risks of immediate and lasting harm. Included studies in the aforementioned systematic review documented instances of pain, bleeding, and potential infection from invasive procedures, particularly when conducted without consent or by untrained personnel.^[2] Forensic nursing literature reports additional complications such as urinary issues, vaginal scarring, and menstrual disruptions in some cases, though quantitative prevalence remains understudied due to the practice's opacity in certain cultural contexts.^[46] No peer-reviewed evidence supports benefits like injury prevention or health screening, as the tests yield no actionable medical insights. Psychological and social outcomes are predominantly adverse, with documented long-term effects including anxiety, depression, and diminished self-esteem. The 2017 review highlighted psychological trauma among examinees, exacerbated by stigma and coercion, leading to social isolation or family rejection in virginity-obsessed settings.^[2] Surveys of affected women in regions practicing routine testing, such as parts of South Africa and Turkey, correlate the procedure with heightened gender inequality perceptions and verbal abuse, though causal links are inferred from qualitative accounts rather than randomized controls.^[41] Overall, empirical assessments underscore virginity testing's inefficacy and harm potential, with no substantiated positive outcomes in peer-reviewed literature.^[47]

References

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a gynecological examination conducted under the belief that it determines whether a woman or girl has had vaginal ...
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Aug 11, 2022 · Put simply, virginity testing is the practice of trying to determine whether a person with a vagina has engaged in penetrative vaginal sex. It's ...
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ACOG is committed to supporting the health and human rights of adolescents and women and, in alignment with the World Health Organization and the United ...
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Feb 3, 2015 · The most obvious way to verify a woman's virginity was to inspect the hymen. While this was commonplace in the Middle Ages, it was not ...
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In Swaziland, where King Mswati promotes abstinence-only-until-marriage for young women to reduce the spread of HIV, virginity testing is widespread.1 In South ...
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Feb 24, 2021 · A Moroccan women's rights organization has started a campaign against the practice of virginity tests for new wives. The invasive procedures are used worldwide.
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Dec 6, 2019 · When the rapper T.I. said he has his teenage daughter undergo an annual virginity test, protests arose in the U.S. In fact, the virginity ...
[29]
'Virginity testing': a human rights violation, with no scientific basis - UN
Oct 17, 2018 · A group of United Nations agencies has issued a joint statement calling for a ban on tests meant to assess the virginity of a girl or a woman.
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Health and Care Bill: banning virginity testing - GOV.UK
Mar 10, 2022 · This fact sheet explains how the government plans to protect and safeguard vulnerable women and girls by banning the harmful practice of virginity testing in ...
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India's Top Court Bans Degrading 'Two-Finger' Rape Test
Nov 1, 2022 · India's Supreme Court ruled that anyone who conducts the “regressive and invasive” two-finger test on survivors of sexual assault or rape will be guilty of ...
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Pakistan court outlaws 'virginity tests' - BBC
Jan 5, 2021 · A Lahore court rules that "two-finger" tests in rape cases are "humiliating" and unscientific.<|separator|>
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Cultural rites of passage: the experiences of South African girls and ...
Oct 30, 2024 · In South Africa, virginity testing of adolescent girls (under the age of 16) is prohibited, but it may be done with consent and counselling ...
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Court in Pakistan Bans 'Virginity Tests' in Sexual Violence Cases
Jan 6, 2021 · In a religiously conservative country where trust in police and the judicial system is low, a “virginity test” provides a further obstacle ...
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Despite Ban, Invasive Virginity Tests Remain Prevalent in Afghanistan
Jan 6, 2017 · The virginity test has been banned. However, it's a long-lasting practice used wrongly by law enforcement authorities, especially police.
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Indonesia: 'Virginity Test' Obsession Highlights Rotten Armed Forces
May 19, 2015 · Indonesia's police and military should stop invasive virginity-test procedures, say human-rights activists.<|separator|>
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Zulus Eagerly Defy Ban on Virginity Test - The Washington Post
Sep 26, 2008 · The Zulu custom of virginity testing, decried by gender and human rights activists, was banned for most girls in a bill passed by Parliament and enacted last ...
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Virginity testing and hymenoplasty: multi-agency guidance - GOV.UK
Aug 11, 2025 · The aim of the procedure is to ensure that a woman bleeds the next time she has intercourse to give the impression that she has no history of ...
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Abusive, Inaccurate 'Virginity Tests' Won't Help, Educating Children ...
Sep 14, 2013 · In March 2013, the Indian parliament introduced reforms to evidence law that disallowed any evidence about previous sexual experience ...
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[PDF] Virginity tests and their implications on law and development
However, forced virginity tests are a form of discrimination against women in political and cultural life. On the political level, women were arrested in ...
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Virginity testing: recommendations for primary care physicians in ...
Jan 20, 2020 · Virginity” testing refers to the practice of evaluating—through a physical examination of the hymen—whether a woman or girl has ever engaged in ...
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[PDF] Like a Virgin? Virginity Testing as HIV/AIDS Prevention
I. Introduction: Virginity Testing in the Battle against AIDS. II. Virgin Territory: Testing Revival and South Africa's Problematic AIDS Policies.
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The historic tradition of wedding night-virginity testing | SBS Voices
Jan 16, 2018 · Often, women in medieval times were subjected to a physical examination by a midwife to check the state of their hymen, as well as an inspection ...
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[PDF] Midwives' Views on Virginity Testing: A Cross-sectional Study
Jul 1, 2023 · The prevalence of virginity testing at personal request in some countries has become a matter of life and death due to virginity's connection to ...<|separator|>
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Hymen care for unmarried Muslim females: role of the ... - WHO EMRO
Virginity, defined as an intact hymen, is considered a sign of sexual purity in Islamic societies and represents the honour of a woman and her family [1–4]. The ...
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Virginity Testing - Journal of Forensic Nursing
Virginity testing is a human rights violation involving an examination of the female genitalia, often by a healthcare professional.
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Virginity and Hymen Testing No Factual Scientific or Medical Basis
May 1, 2015 · Physicians for Human Rights: This forensic brief examines the validity of the use of hymen examinations to determine a women's “virginity.”