Name: The virginity fraud
Uploaded: 2018-02-13T20:53:40Z
Duration: 11 min 31 s
Description: The hymen is still the most misunderstood part of the female body. Nina Dølvik Brochmann and Ellen Støkken Dahl share their mission to empower young people through better sex education, debunking the popular (and harmful) myths we're told about female virginity and the hymen.

The hymen is still the most misunderstood part of the female body. Nina Dølvik Brochmann and Ellen Støkken Dahl share their mission to empower young people through better sex education, debunking the popular (and harmful) myths we're told about female virginity and the hymen.

The virginity fraud

Centuries-old myths about the hymen falsely claim it proves virginity and that it breaks and bleeds the first time a woman has sex. In reality, the hymen is a stretchy rim of tissue that varies greatly and often remains unchanged, even after intercourse. These misconceptions have justified invasive virginity checks, shame, and even violence against women worldwide. Medical evidence shows that the state of the hymen tells nothing about a woman’s sexual history, undermining a tool long used to control female sexuality.