This surgery seems to be happening for two main reasons–Either a woman wants her hymen reinserted to restore her feeling of ‘virginity’ or she wants it to avoid potential violence.  The first point, to me, makes very little sense.  I never understood why so many people focused so much on virginity.  If you have had sex by your choosing (meaning that you weren’t raped) then you’re not a virgin anymore.  Sorry, but you lost that one.  Many people get incredibly bent out of shape about this, but what does it really affect?  If you’re not a virgin you have lost the ‘first time’ feeling when you have sex and, as far as I can tell, that’s it.  Now, I understand the thought process of those who were staunchly waiting for marriage and then were raped–I find nothing at all silly or pandering in their usage of this surgery.  But if someone made the decision to have sex, then they’re not a virgin and it’s as simple as that.  Most importantly, however, it’s not that big of a deal.

This unfortunately leads to the main purpose of hymenoplasty, as reported by this article.  Many women, specifically (in this article) Muslim women, are using this surgery as a way to please their new husbands and, at the same time, ‘prove’ to them that they are virgins.  It’s sad that women are having to have their virginity artificially restored just to avoid being beaten or divorced because they aren’t virgins.  This is absolutely one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.  If the relationship was a real relationship forged on the basis of trust and mutual attraction, instead of a relationship based on a decree from the couple’s parents, then this should never be an issue.  The woman should inform the husband of her past and the same goes for the husband.  Unfortunately, in addition to being the ‘head of the household,’ men are also generally more aggressive and are historically more interested in ‘owning’ their women and their actions.  This obviously leads to trouble when a society turns a blind eye to men being abusive in relationships.  It truly is a sad thing that women are turning to this surgery for those reasons.  Of course, if the surgery helps even one woman not get beaten on her wedding night, then it’s a worthwhile endeavor and one that should continue to be offered by those surgeons that do.

The Time article that I linked to is quite an interesting article and I recommend that you take a second or two and read it.  It provides an insight into a part of the world that I personally have never been exposed to and I feel that it really is a thought-provoking article.