This morning at 11:00 AM eastern time, I’ll be taking part in a panel discussion on internet radio which is being hosted by Fausta Wertz of Fausta’s Blog. The subject will be (brace yourself…) hymen reconstruction surgery. We’ll be taking a second look at a previous New York Times article and accompanying analysis from National Review Online regarding the growing phenomenon of young women having reconstructive surgery done to “restore their virginity” prior to marriage.
This trend is not in any way unique to young Muslim women in Euorpe and the Arab street. It’s also picking up speed in India among various Hindu sects. (India is still a place where women are treated far worse than either cattle or monkeys in many remote areas, by most accounts.) But it doesn’t stop there. I’ve already found no less than 20 clinics offering the procedure right here in the United States. (Check out the Center for Vaginal Surgery for one example. There are more than half a dozen in New York City alone.) Records and numbers are sketchy since the procedure is generally not covered by insurance and is highly private, but some clinics claim to be performing hundreds per year.
Where did this requirement for a woman to be a virgin on her wedding night come from and how well is it surviving in the modern era? It seems to show up in all the major religions, and women failing to live up to this ideal are instructed to be dealt with in a variety of ways ranging from slavery to death by fire or stoning.
Is this chase for chastity something to be admired or shunned? Has the sexual revolution set us free or dragged us to the gates of hell? And do a few stiches from a surgeon really turn back the clock on your virginity, or are you just fooling yourself and lying to your prospective husband? You be the judge. Leave your comments in this thread. Or, if you’d care to take part in the discussion, join us at 11:00 eastern at Fausta’s show, or using the player below, or call in during the show at (646) 652-2639 to have your say.