Hymenoplasty R4 Inside Health

[CliffsofMoherVisitor]

I heard a programme on Radio 4 today about surgery for hymenoplasty. Apparently women, mainly from "traditional communities", are seeking to restore their hymen so that they bleed when having sex on their wedding night.

The item spent a fair bit of time talking about the hymen and how only about 50% of women bleed on first sex, and sometimes hymens break through cycling, inserting a tampon etc. So they aren't a reliable indicator of virginity anyway.

The rest of the program talked about not banning the practice because it would go underground and having guidelines etc.

No real mention of how it was a completely unnecessary medical procedure to pander to men's expectation of a "perfect virgin bride"

WTAF

In the UK where FGM has been outlawed, how is this a thing?! And on the NHS to boot?

I think it was the way it was discussed as if it was a normal and apparently necessary medical procedure that shocked me the most. Couldn't quite believe it was being talked about so casually by 2 female presenters on Radio 4 in the afternoon!

This has been a thing for years, I remember talkkng about it with Muslim friends in school.
It's done on the NHS because the women are at risk of harm if either family or husband think they were not a virgin (the woman shows her parents the bloodied bed sheets).

I'd rather that than the girls having anal sex instead of vaginal because they don't want/ can't to lose their virginity before their wedding night. Which sadly is a thing too.