Virginity test unscientific, discriminatory, says National Medical Commission

The National Medical Commission NMC has decided to teach students how virginity tests are unscientific inappropriate and discriminatory and how to apprise the court of the same if the court orders such a test in matrimonial dispute casesThe decision was taken based on the recommendations of the expert panel constituted by Aruna Vanikar president of UG Medical Education Board of NMC on the orders of Madras High Court to address the issues about LGBTQIA community in the MBBS curriculumDr Indrajit Khandekar professor of Forensic Medicine MGIMS Sevagram who was part of the expert panel requested the NMC to add the virginity issue under the ambit of the expert panel while studying the LGBTQIA issue and the request was acceptedNo scientific basisldquoVirginity test has been ordered by the courts across the country in various matrimonial disputes and doctors conducted it even though there was no scientific basis This is the first time in the history of medical education that medical undergraduate students will be taught to appraise courts about unscientific basis of any testsigns if court orders so Previously medical students were taught about the medicolegal significance of virginity but now this has been removed from the medical course Henceforth medical students across the country will be taught about the unscientific basis of virginity testsrdquo explained Dr KhandekarDr Indrajit Khandekar professor of Forensic Medicine MGIMS SevagramHe added ldquoMedical students until now were following the two methods of testingmdashtwo finger test and checking hymen injuries and opening of hymen Experts from NMC have claimed that such methods of testing are unscientific and recommended teaching the topic lsquosigns features of virginityrsquo as part of the chapter lsquoVirginityrsquo in the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology textbook with a disclaimer to second and thirdyear students from the coming academic yearrdquoldquoOur courts are also unaware about the unscientific basis of signs of virginity and its test Therefore it is necessary to train our medical students doctors to appraise the courts about the same This will help to clear the issue and slowly Indian courts will stop ordering virginity tests I think this will be a historical changerdquo Dr Khandekar said adding ldquoThere is no scientific way by which one can know whether the girl is virgin or not similar to a male whose lsquosigns of virginityrsquo was never mentioned in any medical book till daterdquoBut canrsquot drop it from syllabusWhen asked why the topic is not being dropped from the syllabus itself Dr Khandekar clarified ldquoFrom the academic perspective the said topic is very crucial and the text books from this academic year will have an additional disclaimer paragraph and reasoning behind doing away with such unscientific practice Also if not retained in the forensic textbooks the probability of future generations incorporating the unscientific test once again cannot be ruled out And hence students have to be informed today about the reasoning behind elimination of such a practicerdquoDr Sandeep Kadu controller of examination Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Nashik said ldquoThere is no scientific medical test to confirm virginity and whatever was published in earlier books should be done away with The second crucial point is that stopping the test will help protect the dignity and selfesteem of a woman I congratulate Dr Khandekar and NMC for taking a bold step in such a sensitive issuerdquoViews of forensic academiciansDr Rajesh Dhere head of the department Forensic Medicine and Toxicology LTMG Medical College in Sion said ldquoIt is a good move by NMC I personally feel that such tests should be completely done away withrdquoDr Shailesh Mohite dean of HBT Medical College and Dr R N Cooper Hospital said ldquoIf certain ageold practice to ascertain lsquovirginityrsquo is proved to be unscientific today and if medical students do not learn about it then how will they know about ascertaining lsquovirginityrsquo and the historical aspects of lsquovirginityrsquo Hence according to me it should be a part of the curriculum and is crucial for understanding human anatomyrdquo Advocate SpeakAdvocate Rajeshwar Panchal who practices in the Bombay High Court said ldquoVirginity test is absolutely illegal and should be done away with especially after the Apex court has held that the right to privacy is a fundamental right and the same includes the right to enjoy onersquos own body the way one wants In a civilised society governed by the Constitution such concepts like virginity have become outdatedrdquoldquoThe courts while dealing with issues arising out family disputes often encounter such a prayer However no law recognises virginity Law recognises only potency Moreover it depicts the patriarchal mindset of the society and thus is discriminatory toordquoSept 2021Month when Madras HC issued direction to NMC