Virginity testing in South Africa: should it be banned?
The late 1980’s saw the revival of virginity testing in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Legally, virginity testing can be carried out on boys and girls between the ages of 16-18 years. But is the practice a relevant part of African cultural heritage, or a discriminatory infringement of human rights? A new article in the South African Journal of Philosophy explores answers to this question.
The test on girls, designed to affirm virginal status, is based on whether the hyman is intact. The test is therefore far from 100% reliable; some women are born without a hymen, the hymen can be broken by tampons or sporting activities, and conversely, the hymen does not always rupture after one act of coitus. However, the results can have profound effects for the girl.
Test results are only divulged with personal permission, but refusal to tell is tantamount to guilt, so in reality, privacy is not an option.
A ‘non-virgin’ verdict can result in awful consequences, ranging from honour killing, abuse, isolation, financial penalty, family shame, and poor marriage prospects. Surely, such an inaccurate test should not have the power to affect the course of a young girl’s life?
A confirmation of virginal status can have equally damaging outcomes; rape by HIV infected men who believe sex with a virgin will cure them, or by people jealous of her pristine status.
With such terrible consequences, this test needs careful reconsideration about its ethical status.
The law permits tests on both boys and girls, but in practice is only performed on girls. The markers for establishing a boy’s virginity are incredibly tenuous and there is no evidence of widespread testing on boys. The inclusion of boys is seemingly to establish an illusion of equality.
The widespread testing of girls indicates a belief that girls bear disproportionate responsibility for sexual activity and are ‘seducers of men’. The author notes: “re-institution of virginity testing is intended to encourage young women to embrace a role for themselves as subservient, respectful and obedient. This can only serve to perpetuate patriarchy and the dominance of women by men”.
Such disempowerment can leave women and girls vulnerable to violence, abuse, and rape. In theory girls are free to choose to participate in a test, but in practice coercion is often the order of the day.
Proponents of the practice refute the notion that it's an infringement of dignity and privacy. In the face of past oppression and attacks on customs, traditionalists emphasise its importance in African cultural values with the prized title of "virgin" overriding any fears of bodily invasion.
However, the author argues that no practice should be sanctioned solely on the basis of culture. He joins the heavyweight detractors; the ANC, International Human Rights Commission, and Gender Commission, in condemning virginity testing as an unjust, discriminatory practice, and urges a complete ban on all virginity testing.
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