Why Virginity Tests Are Making News — In The U.S. And Afghanistan
Virginity tests are making headlines in the United States. In November, the rapper T.I. drew a firestorm of criticism after he said during a podcast interview that he requires his 18-year-old daughter to undergo an annual virginity test with her gynecologist.
T.I. later explained that the comments were made in a joking manner in an interview he did with Jada Pinkett Smith. But his initial remarks have had an impact.
Even though T.I. himself is from Atlanta, lawmakers in the New York State Assembly are responding to the matter of virginity tests. Last week legislation was introduced to bar doctors from performing such examinations, which are widely discredited by medical professionals.
And the tests are, in fact, a global issue. Virginity tests have been documented in at least , including Egypt, Indonesia and South Africa. And according to
