Virginity Testing Is Illegal and Embarrassing, Says Doctor

Dr. Oluwajimi Sodipo, a consultant family physician at the teaching hospital of Lagos State University, said that virginity tests are prohibited in Ilorin on Wednesday.

On the sidelines of a session for primary healthcare professionals, he told the News Agency of Nigeria that the WHO has deemed the practice to be unlawful.

Aside from the WHO announcement, he said, the practice was antiquated.

The most frequent justifications for doing the virginity test are requests from parents or suitors to evaluate the girl’s eligibility for marriage or a career.

A virginity test, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a gynecological examination conducted with the goal of establishing if a woman or girl has had vaginal contact.

The WHO has issued a worldwide plea to end violence against women and girls, according to Sodipo, who also noted that the act is medically unnecessary.

He continued by saying that the practice was often agonizing, embarrassing, and distressing.

He said that the idea of a virginity test was false since a woman’s lack of a hymen did not always indicate that she was promiscuous.

The idea that virginity must be shown by a blood-stained sheet during the first intercourse is not usually supported by science, Dr. Sodipo said.

Speaking on gender-based violence, he said that since female victims were more vulnerable, there had been greater focus on them.

New statistics indicated that men and boys were becoming victims more often, he added.

He observed that preconceptions made it less likely for guys who had been affected by the threat to discuss their situation.

Dr. Sodipo recommended survivors to seek assistance from healthcare professionals and other pertinent parties rather than keeping quiet about their situation.