Citation

Partoune A, Dechamps V, Berrendorf M, Tezel M, Boxho P. Rev. Med. Liege 2020; 75(10): 670-675.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Hopital De Baviere)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

33030844

Abstract

In October 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published a report condemning the practice of virginity testing, which are scientifically unfounded and turn out to be harmful for the women who are victims of these. In February 2019, the Belgian National Council of Physicians Order follows the WHO and has recalled that virginity testing is not justified, neither scientifically nor ethically. To complete these reports, the present article intends to provide to the clinician, whatever its speciality field, an up-to-date and practical guide explaining the nature of hymen, its clinical examination, the mechanism leading to the onset of the lesions, their description and their forensic interpretation. According to the legal and social aspects of forensic medicine, we also would like to recall the nature and the inherent dangers of virginity testing, as well as the legal framework of which the clinician must be aware of, in response to such a request from a patient.

Language: fr

Keywords

Forensic medicine; Examination techniques; Hymen; Interpretation of injuries; Virginity testing