Globally, midwives are often at the forefront of promoting and improving women’s sexual and reproductive health. It is important to develop a gender perspective in midwifery education, one that addresses the fact that virginity control and hymen (re)constructions are unscientific and may cause great harm to women worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the experience and attitudes of an international group of midwives regarding virginity control and hymen (re)constructions. An online questionnaire was emailed to midwives who attended the International Confederation of Midwifery (ICM) Congress in Glasgow. The respondents (n=480) represented five continents. Ten percent of the midwives reported professional experience of requests concerning virginity examinations and hymen (re)constructions. The majority stated that these practices are unjustifiable, and amount to acts of violence against women, whereas a minority responded that these practices can be acceptable. Almost two-thirds stated that it is the responsibility of midwives to work against these practices.
Ideas and misconceptions about the vaginal opening, hymen and virginity are widely held in many societies. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of the vaginal opening, the hymen and its connection with bleeding, sexual intercourse, physical activity and virginity verification among an international group of midwives. An online questionnaire about the topic was emailed to midwives who attended the International Confederation of Midwives' (ICM) Congress in Glasgow. The respondents (n=480) represented five continents with European delegates dominating the attendees. Two thirds (66%) of the respondents believed that girls are born with a covering membrane that breaks during the first vaginal intercourse and 52% thought that the membrane breaks during physical activities. Fifteen percent connected bleeding with the first vaginal intercourse and 21% stated that virginity can be verified by a gynecological examination. Midwives play a significant role in improving the sexual and reproductive health of women, thus in order to challenge long-held biomedical 'truths', midwives must become conscious and knowledgeable about how the myths surrounding the hymen contribute to gender inequalities and health disparities in women. A first step is to implement gender perspectives in midwifery education.