Ban Virginity Tests

The Middle Eastern Women & Society Organisation

Stand against virginity testing and all adverts, certificates & gestures that convey any information related to such tests in the UK.

A virginity test is a method of checking if a girl or woman is a virgin. This usually involves checking for an intact hymen in the mistaken belief that a torn hymen means a woman has had sex. Virginity tests are commonly used in Muslim and other conservative communities because their customs say women must be virgins when marrying their husbands. 
However, there is no scientific way to prove a girl or woman's virginity. A hymen can be broken in a number of ways - during exercise, riding a bike, using a tampon or simply falling over - and some women are even born without a hymen. In reality the custom is used by men, who themselves do not practise abstinence, to intimidate, and control women’s bodies and their behaviour. 
Taking the test can cause a girl or woman anguish and severe mental distress. Tragically, failing one can result in violence, sexual assault, banishment from one's community, and, worse still, honour killings. This is not something that just goes on in other countries. This is very much a British problem.
Virginity testing is a long-standing practice in the UK. In the 1970s it was reportedly carried out by immigration officials on women arriving from the Indian sub-continent to marry their British-Asian fiancés. 
Now, exclusively carried out by private clinics the extent to which virginity testing goes on in the UK is unknown. However, a BBC Newsbeat investigation in 2020 identified at least 21 clinics offering such tests, as well as hymen repair surgery, costing between £1,500-£3,000, should the girl or woman fail the test. A similar investigation was also conducted by The Sunday Times which read “‘Restoring virgins’ is a big earner for British surgeons”.
In 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) called on governments; health professionals and their associations; international, regional and national health agencies, and communities to end virginity tests.
The WHO determined that being physically forced or emotionally pressured into having a virginity test is a direct violation of a woman’s human rights; the rights of the child; the right to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; the right to be protected from discrimination based on sex; the rights to privacy and physical integrity; the right to the highest attainable standard of health, and the right to life. Middle Eastern Women Society and Organaisation is calling on the UK Government, the National Health Service and its agencies, private health clinics, health professionals and associations, local authorities and relevant voluntary organisations across the UK to put this ban into practice.
It should be made illegal to give any form of virginity test. It should be made illegal to write, sign or administer in any way certificates as a result of a virginity test. It should be made illegal to indicate in any way - by spoken word, a shake or nod of the head, any indication whatever - the result of a virginity test. Finally, it should be made a criminal offence for anyone - clinics, health professionals, parents and/or guardian/s, family or community members - to instigate a virginity test.However, to ensure this practice is permanently stopped and not just driven underground, the Government, and all the agencies mentioned above, also need to make a commitment to educate health professionals, communities and school children about the myths that surround a woman’s virginity.
They must be educated about:
 the damaging lies that continue to insist a woman’s virginity can be tested scientifically;
 the very real harm, both physical and psychological, that virginity tests cause;
 the need for children and young people to have sex education that can dispel these myths, and
 the rights of girls and women to choose and control their own sexual life.There also needs to be serviced in place to intervene and protect women and girls trying to assert their right to not be violated in this way, and who subsequently face very real dangers to their health and, in some cases, to their lives. 

​

​

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

Ban Virginity Tests

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all online events to browse and filter by date, category, and more.

Ban Virginity Tests

More Charity & Causes events

Browse more Charity & Causes events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all online events to browse and filter by date, category, and more.