Originally published at: Some Women in UK denied transvaginal examinations because they are "virgins" | Boing Boing
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FFS! 
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This happens in the United States, just in case anyone doubted that.
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Ok, I’m going to say it. So she was refused an examination because wearing a hijab implied virginity. So here’s the question - what ethnic or religious background were these medics that caused them to make this assumption or assume she would not want her hymen at risk from an examination? I’m not a betting type but I’d lay money on this one.
From the Femedic article:
I wanted a transvaginal ultrasound, which is the standard diagnostic test done for pelvic pain and provides a more detailed image of the inside of the pelvis. But this was repeatedly refused, because I was a “virgin” — because, by heteronormative standards, I had not had sex. Performing the scan would break my hymen and supposedly “take” my virginity.
And
When seeking pain relief from a locum GP, for instance, she warned against a transvaginal exam after I confirmed that I was unmarried. The GP’s exact words were: “What if your husband has a problem with that when you get married?”. She was referring to the antiquated myth that bleeding on the sheets (due to the hymen breaking) on the night of one’s wedding is “proof” of virginity prior to the marriage. It was hard to believe she was saying this, unironically and as a healthcare professional, in the twenty-first century.
When I told the GP, nervously but resolutely, that I didn’t plan on getting married, I was laughed at derisively. Clearly, she did not believe me. I was far from comfortable disclosing my sexual identity to her.
It seems the problem is as much with female medics as male ones.
From the Vice article:
she had a doctor at Diagnostic World, which provides diagnostic services to the NHS, refuse to perform the ultrasound “due to religious beliefs as I am a virgin and her beliefs don’t allow her to even risk breaking my hymen.”
A fucking doctor’s religious beliefs do not allow her to break a patient’s hymen, FFS.
These people should be struck off.
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putting aside the real problem which is the gross obsession with “virginity”
If there’s so much concern about a damaging a hymen with a small opening, wouldn’t a doctor’s office be an excellent place to help with that? you could apply some local anesthetic, artfully cut the tissue, stop the bleeding and prevent infection. No no, much better that it gets torn up by a big dick, lol wut.
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This sounds like instantaneous-lawsuit territory to me. I can’t see how this doesn’t immediately lead to a huge scene, protests and firings. Yeah, patriarchy and all, but this is so blatant and so backwards it seems like it would be easy to get whatever doctor tried to do it in HUGE trouble.
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I’m just here for the mansplaining.
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Anyone who is not able to avoid bringing this sort of nonsense into their work should not be a medic. It’s sad to see that even a medical degree is not enough to purge the minds of these particular beliefs.
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They have Croydon there? Are you sure? Did anyone really need to replicate Croydon?
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I work in the back end of the NHS pushing numbers, and there are some VERY shady people running GP surgeries, lemme tellya.
(There’s some very shady NHS trusts, for that matter. The north east is a lot better run than, say, trusts down Essex way, or in the north west, for instance).
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