Sweden: No virginity certificates

Despite what science says about the hymen, many young women are worried their husband will find out on their wedding night that they are not virgin. Now in the summer there's a lot of pressure at youth clinic and similar places.

It's the woman's, or the who family's honor, which is based on the hymen. It's super-sensitive, says Anna, who works at Systerjouren Somaya.

Q: Honor based on something which doesn't exist?

A: Yes, exactly.

Systerjouren Somaya in Stockholm was started by Muslim girls to support Muslim girls. Today it ahs seven employees and about 30 volunteers from different cultures who help girls of immigrant background.

Many girls who call Somaya are scared for their lives. Anna says that it's scary how many have to deal with it.

Q: How was the last call?

A: A girl came to us who was exploited by her uncle. In order to hide it both she and he wanted to operate.

The girls who turn to Somaya can be desperate. Their wedding day is approaching and they want help sawing up what they believe is their hymen so that their husband won't know that they aren't virgins.

In fact, only a third of girls bleed, even if they never had sex before. But there are many who don't understand it, says Åsa Svensson, of a youth clinic in Gothenburg.

- Many want to have a virginity certificate but that isn't possible. It can't be done. Nobody can see if a girl had sex in the past, says Svensson.

Source: SR (Swedish), h/t EXILEN (Swedish)

See also: Denmark: Virginity operation season, France: Certificates of virginity, Belgium: Honor violence under-estimated

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

OK, we're a third of the way there with the no virginity certificates. Now just stop government-financed hymen restoration and institute mandatory sex education, and we'll almost be a civilized society again.

Honor is exactly as she said: meaningless bs. It's what people who live without morality use as a sick substitute. How about working hard and making good lives for yourselves? That's honorable. Honor does not lie between a woman's legs. Gross.

Risyros said...

jetabler, yes the honour of a woman lies between her legs. the same it lies in her heart, mind and everything from her. and to the person that said that they cannot tell if a woman is virgin or not you're totally wrong. yes you can tell if a girl is a virgin or not even those born without hymen. you can even tell if she was raped or consented sex. make some medical and forensic research before talking.

Esther said...

Risyros,

You're completely wrong. But if you have serious forensic research to the contrary, you're welcome to share it.