Virginity test

A virginity test is the pseudoscientific practice and process of determining whether a woman or girl is a virgin; i.e., to determine that she has never engaged in, or been subjected to, vaginal intercourse. The test typically involves a check for the presence of an intact hymen, typically on the flawed assumption that it can only be, and will always be torn as a result of vaginal intercourse.^[1] It has been practiced since ancient times but its recent use in the United Kingdom dates back to the 1970s.^[2] It is legal for doctors in the United States to perform virginity tests.^[3]

Virginity testing is widely considered controversial because of its implications for the tested women and girls as it is viewed as unethical,^[4] and because a number of such tests are widely considered to be unscientific. In cases of suspected rape or child sexual abuse, a detailed examination of the hymen may be performed, but the condition of the hymen alone is often inconclusive.^[5] In October 2018, the UN Human Rights Council, UN Women and the World Health Organization (WHO) called for the ban of virginity testing as it is a painful, humiliating and a traumatic practice that constitutes violence against women.^[6]