Who would have their hymen reconstructed?

[monkeytrousers]

There's going to be a feature on Woman's Hour in a few minutes. WTF???!!!

[expatinscotland]

Uh, wtf?

[moozoboozo]

OMG!!! That's ridiculous. It wouldnt remove the fact that you werent a virgin!

[SPARKLER1]

Ooooooh my eyes are watering at the thought.

[WigWamBam]

Some cultures place a higher importance on virginity than others, and presumably some women feel that they can fool their husbands into believing that they're still virgins when they marry when they're not.

[HappyDaddy]

I wouldn't, personally...

[handlemecarefully]

splutter - at happydaddy

[Caligula]

I know someone who got it done. Cost her a fortune and it wasn't for her husband's benefit, but for his family's - he knew perfectly well what a slapper she was, having been a major beneficiary!!! But they were getting married in Egypt with all the trimmings, so this was the done thing.

[monkeytrousers]

God, what a reminder. We all need to be eternally vigilant. Think I might start up a petition and send it to the Daily Mail next time it does a 'feminism is dead' story.

[monkeytrousers]

lol Caligual. What kind of trimmings were they I wonder?{grin]

[starlover]

why????? why why why?

tbh i think the majority of men wouldn't even be able to tell if a girl was a virgin or not!
I for one never bled or felt any pain when i lost my virginity... so how the guy would have known is beyond me!

plus, many virgins have already got a broken hymen from sports (horse riding etc) and other stuff..


totalyl pointless!

and as for doing it for your dp's family's benefit... well unless they're going up there with a torch and a speculum how the hell would they know?????????

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[monkeytrousers]

I think mine must've been broken before I done the deed. I don't remember any staining of sheets...not from me anyway..

I was a bit of a tomboy. Probably lost my virginity falling off a tree.

Ohhh! If it didn't have so many dreadful repercussions for so many women it'd seem to idiotic for words.

[Satine]

They do it because certain cultures (chiefly middle eastern) insist that before entering arranged marriages, girls/women must be examined by a ob/gyn to prove that they are virgins. If they are found not to be virgins, they can be intimidated, ostracised and the victims of violence. On woman's hour she spoke to an American surgeon who carries out the procedure who said that his patients accept that they must go along with their families' wishes because the marriage is often for business purposes but also because the repercussions otherwise would also be felt by her family. Then there was another doctor interviewed who said that such procedures merely prolong and support such an appalling abuse of the women's human rights, and she won't support any patient who requests it. Difficult dilemma.

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[ChaCha]

Caligula - I am totally shocked [shocked]
Is that really the done thing in Egypt? I mean, what were they supposed to do? Hang the stained bedsheet from the bedroom window....
Are they both Egyptians?

[Carla]

HM, how on earth did you know? >>

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[WigWamBam]

In some cultures the sheet has to be examined for blood. I knew a girl who had an arranged marriage, and although no-one physically checked that she was a virgin, it was part of the wedding tradition that their families waited in the room next to where they were doing the deed, and her husband had to bring the sheet out to them to show them.

Her MIL was a more enlightened woman than some of the rest of her family - she gave her a little bottle of animal blood to pour on the sheets just in case!

[ChaCha]

OMG! I really didn't think that happened anymore except in remote rural areas of certain countries!

[WigWamBam]

It was a while ago, probably 20 years, but it certainly wasn't a remote, rural area - it was in Coventry.

[ChaCha]

Oh Well! Just goes to show...

[Caligula]

He's from an Egyptian family, and she's from a Bengali family. She grew up here and he grew up sort of half and half between countries. They now live in Egypt. (Her mum was really annoyed with her for marrying him - she wanted her to marry either a nice Bengali boy who had been brought up in England, or a nice English boy! "What you wanna marry into these bloody Egyptians for"... was the general commentary on her wedding day...!!!)

[jampots]

WWB - some parts of Coventry are rural

[WigWamBam]

Not the middle of the Foleshill Road, jampots

[ChaCha]

That's really interesting Caligula. I thought Egyptians were generally a lot more open minded and civilized.