
UK government bans virginity testing, but has still not apologized for past abuses on immigrants
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Last week the British government added a clause to its Health and Care Bill that would make hymenoplasty -- or "virginity repair" surgery -- illegal in England and Wales. In November 2021, "virginity testing" also became a criminal offence.
The clearance interview
The physical and psychological harm from these interventions have also been independently assessed. In 2015, the Independent Forensic Expert Group comprising "preeminent independent health specialists who provide technical advice and expertise in cases where allegations of torture are made" concluded that "virginity examinations are medically unreliable and have no clinical or scientific value." They went on: "These examinations are inherently discriminatory and, in almost all instances, when conducted forcibly, result in significant physical and mental pain and suffering, thereby constituting cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or torture."