Current Debates

Below is a story I listened to on the Current this morning on the radio. It is now online here audio: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/media/200705/20070529thecurrent_sec2.ram

Summary from the web site:

Hymenoplasty

It's a surgery most women couldn't fathom. It's called hymenoplasty, a procedure a woman undergoes to give the illusion she's a virgin. It's done by reattaching the hymen by sewing the two sides back together. And while it is relatively uncommon in North America it has been done for decades in certain middle eastern countries, and is, increasingly, being performed in such countries as Germany, Sweden, and France. Most women seeking the surgery are of Arab descent. Muslim women who have had premarital sex, but fearing reprisals from families that demand virginity until marriage, undergo surgery to "re-virginize."

But now the chair of the French College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians is calling for an end to this practice in France. Dr. Jacques Lansac believes there is no place for this kind of surgery in secular French society - a procedure that he believes denigrates women and gives in to Muslim fundamentalism.

Dr. Jacques Lansac joined us from Tours, France.

Hymenoplasty Proponent

So while Dr. Lansac believes this procedure gives in to attitudes of Muslim fundamentalism, there are many doctors in France who have a different philosophy on the matter of hymenoplasty.

Dr. Jacques Milliez is the head of the department of gynecology and obstetrics at the St. Antoine hospital in Paris. He has spent time as a doctor-in-residence in Algeria. This is what he had to say when we contacted him about the practice.

Hymenoplasty Analyst

France's decision to open the debate on hymenoplasty has resonated throughout Europe. Muslim women in countries such as Italy, Sweden and Germany are paying close attention to the controversy. Canadian author Irshad Manji was in Germany earlier this month, where she was discussing this issue of hymenoplasty with young muslim women. Irshad Manji is the author of The Trouble with Islam Today, she joined us in our Toronto studio.

Another article on this subject here:

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=72552

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Thoughts?

Makes me think of the saying, two wrongs don't make a right.
In this case... the family/societal need for virginal women and the shame induced surgery.

If this surgery protects a woman from the backlash of her family/society - then she should have the option. IMO however, it is nothing but a deception. Virginity is, to my mind, a state of innocence that no surgery can return.

I think it's kinda ridiculous that such a surgery exists..

"give the illusion she's a virgin"

That pretty much sums up my feelings on it. Once you have done the deed once you aren't a virgin anymore. there is no going back. It's a once in a lifetime deal and once yours is gone wether through your own willing act or through the force of another it's still gone and will always be gone regardless of what actions you try to take to make it appear otherwise.

Turdle

First, if women have the right to have other forms of plastic surgery, they should have the right to this one. I find it a little scary that the medical community can dictate what medical proceedures women can access on the basis of their social opinions. It's the same kind of mentality that drives anti-abortion and anti-birth control efforts.

Second, I think we in the U.S. tend to forget that in some countries (not all Muslim) and among some immigrant minorities in industiralized countries, "honor" killings still happen. It's not a matter of "I used to be a tramp, now I want to get married and not have to discuss my past." It's literally a matter of life or death. Or, more subtily, it may be a matter of quality of life. In some cultures and sub-cultures, a non-virgin woman isn't "worth" as much as a virgin. She may be forced to "marry down" in order to get any support at all.

I can understand objecting to the cultural forces that lead women to choose this surgery. But, denying women the proceedure will not change the culture...at least not enough to save the lives of women who might be killed by those who claim to love them.