Midwives' Views on Virginity Testing: A Cross-sectional Study

Several cultural and social factors have influenced virginity testing as a medical procedure. This procedure is performed, but sometimes there is no scientific reason to perform it.

This study investigated the views of midwives working in Tabriz, Iran, about virginity testing.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 midwives using the sociodemographic and a researcher-made questionnaire to assess midwives’ views on virginity testing. The samples were selected by random sampling among midwives working in Tabriz City, Iran. The Pearson correlation test, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used to determine the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and midwives’ views on virginity testing.

The Mean±SD age of the participants was 35.25±8.9 years. The overall score of the midwives’ view on virginity testing was 206.98, of an attainable range from 55 to 275. There was a significant relationship between the overall score of midwives’ views on virginity testing with the variables of age (P=0.033), education level (P=0.001), ethnicity (P=0.012), place of residence (P=0.001), and place of employment (P=0.001). Most midwives (56.2%) believe virginity testing has no therapeutic value and prevention of problems and should not be done, and 59.1% opposed virginity testing motivated by a man’s right to impose a healthy virginity condition on marriage. Most participants (81.9%) agreed to perform virginity testing to investigate rape and sexual abuse.

The authorities and the legislators should take the necessary measures to prepare the regulations and provide appropriate training to this group.