Despite what science says about the hymen, many young women are worried their husband will find out on their wedding night that they are not virgin. Now in the summer there’s a lot of pressure at youth clinic and similar places.
It’s the woman’s, or the who family’s honor, which is based on the hymen. It’s super-sensitive, says Anna, who works at Systerjouren Somaya.
Q: Honor based on something which doesn’t exist?
A: Yes, exactly.
Systerjouren Somaya in Stockholm was started by Muslim girls to support Muslim girls. Today it ahs seven employees and about 30 volunteers from different cultures who help girls of immigrant background.
Many girls who call Somaya are scared for their lives. Anna says that it’s scary how many have to deal with it.
Q: How was the last call?
A: A girl came to us who was exploited by her uncle. In order to hide it both she and he wanted to operate.
The girls who turn to Somaya can be desperate. Their wedding day is approaching and they want help sawing up what they believe is their hymen so that their husband won’t know that they aren’t virgins.
In fact, only a third of girls bleed, even if they never had sex before. But there are many who don’t understand it, says Åsa Svensson, of a youth clinic in Gothenburg.
– Many want to have a virginity certificate but that isn’t possible. It can’t be done. Nobody can see if a girl had sex in the past, says Svensson.
Source: SR (Swedish), h/t EXILEN (Swedish)
See also: Denmark: Virginity operation season, France: Certificates of virginity, Belgium: Honor violence under-estimated
Despite what science says about the hymen, many young women are worried their husband will find out on their wedding night that they are not virgin. Now in the summer there’s a lot of pressure at youth clinic and similar places.
It’s the woman’s, or the who family’s honor, which is based on the hymen. It’s super-sensitive, says Anna, who works at Systerjouren Somaya.
Q: Honor based on something which doesn’t exist?
A: Yes, exactly.
Systerjouren Somaya in Stockholm was started by Muslim girls to support Muslim girls. Today it ahs seven employees and about 30 volunteers from different cultures who help girls of immigrant background.
Many girls who call Somaya are scared for their lives. Anna says that it’s scary how many have to deal with it.
Q: How was the last call?
A: A girl came to us who was exploited by her uncle. In order to hide it both she and he wanted to operate.
The girls who turn to Somaya can be desperate. Their wedding day is approaching and they want help sawing up what they believe is their hymen so that their husband won’t know that they aren’t virgins.
In fact, only a third of girls bleed, even if they never had sex before. But there are many who don’t understand it, says Åsa Svensson, of a youth clinic in Gothenburg.
– Many want to have a virginity certificate but that isn’t possible. It can’t be done. Nobody can see if a girl had sex in the past, says Svensson.
Source: SR (Swedish), h/t EXILEN (Swedish)
See also: Denmark: Virginity operation season, France: Certificates of virginity, Belgium: Honor violence under-estimated
