VIRGINITY RESTORATION
In some cultures, it is more than her sparkling eyes, her radiant smile, or her exhilarating personality that makes a woman a desirable bride. It is in-stead the presence of a women's hymen, something which can affect her marriage prospects, her family's reputation, and even her very life. For these women, hymenorraphy, or hymen repair surgery, may actually provide an escape from grave social persecution.
The hymen is a membranous fold of tissue that covers the external vaginal orifice. The biological function of the human hymen is still uncertain; scientists hypothesize that it protects the vagina from infection in infants. The social function of the hymen, however, has been and still is a mythical symbol of virginity in many cultures. Upon initial intercourse, a woman's hymen ruptures and bleeds. The image of a bloody sheet is highly celebrated in many cultures because it represents the purity of a woman and the virility of a man.
In these non-Western societies, the virginity of the bride is valued for religious, social, and even economic reasons. For example, the Koran, the Islamic holy book, states that the bride must be a virgin. In China, the bride's virginity determines the amount of betrothal gifts. "The presence of the hymen is particularly important for families of prestige who want to keep the family lineage non-contaminated," explained Professor Charles S. Nicoll from the Department of Integrative Biology at University of California (UC), Berkeley. These traditional cultural beliefs demand the "bloody sheet" no matter what.
According to a survey conducted by Dr. Sara Paterson-Brown, consultant obstetrician and gynecologist at Queen Charlotte's Hospital in London, however, the sheet may not tell the complete truth. When she surveyed 41 female colleagues about their first intercourse experiences, she found that only 14 bled, 26 did not, and one did not re- member. Dr. Paterson-Brown explained, "Factors such as sporting activities and use of tampons mean that bleeding with first sexual intercourse is not inevitable." Moreover, the hymen of some women are very elastic and will allow penetration without bleeding. Research, therefore, like Dr. Paterson-Brown's, show that the presence of the hymen is not an accurate indicator of virginity.
Unfortunately, the consequences of not bleeding, or being a "non-virgin" bride, can be severe. In many Mediterranean and African cultures, the husband's family may take revenge through violent punishments and banishment of the bride because the "non-virgin" bride "shamed" them. Among the Yungar people of Australia, girls without the hymen before marriage were starved, tortured, or even killed. In Arab countries, the "non-virgin" brides may be killed by her brothers, uncles, or even fathers. The perpetrators often escape prosecution due to the strong customs that justify such murders.
Clearly, those who seek hymenorraphy believe that the procedure is necessary for their social status, happiness, and even preservation of life. In the past ten years in Egypt, the hymen repair surgery has reduced 80 percent of the murders committed when a bride was found not to be a virgin on the wedding night, according to the June 1996 issue of the British medical journal, The Lancet.
A typical hymen repair surgery involves suturing the remnants of the ruptured hymen together along with a gelatin capsule containing a blood-like substance. A small section of vaginal wall is dissected for the reconstruction when the hymenal remnants are insufficient, but the procedure is considered relatively simple. The husband will be convinced of the bride's virginity when the capsule bursts during intercourse.