Promoting women's human rights: A qualitative analysis of midwives’ perceptions about virginity control and hymen ‘reconstruction’

Abstract

Objectives To explore midwives’ perceptions regarding virginity control and hymen ‘reconstructions’, and how these practices can be debated from a gender perspective.

Methods An international group of 266 midwives answered an open-ended question in a Web survey. The great majority came from the Western world, among them, the majority were from Europe. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results Three themes emerged: misogynistic practices that cement the gender order, which revealed how the respondents viewed virginity control and hymen ‘reconstructions’; raising public awareness and combatting practices that demean women, which were suggested as strategies by which to combat these practices; and promoting agency in women and providing culturally sensitive care, which were considered to improve health care encounters.

Conclusions Virginity control and hymen ‘reconstructions’ are elements of patriarchy, whereby violence and control are employed to subordinate women. To counter these practices, macro and micro-level activities are needed to expand women's human rights in the private and the public spheres. Political activism, international debates, collaboration between sectors such as health care and law-makers may lead to increased gender equality. A women-centred approach whereby women are empowered with agency will make women more capable of combatting virginity control and hymen ‘reconstruction’.

Chinese Abstract

摘要

目的：研究助产士关于处女控制和处女膜修复的认知，以及怎样从性别角度来反对这些行为。

方法 一个由266个助产士组成的国际小组在互联网上回答了一个开放式的问题。大多数人来自于西方国家，其中多数来自欧洲。数据分析采用定性内容分析。

结果出现了三个论题：藐视妇女的行为加固了性别歧视，揭示了这些调查对象是怎样看待处女控制和处女膜修复的；这个问题引起了公众的关注，要反对那些贬低女性的行为。这些建议被作为抵制这种行为的对策；促进妇女机构的形成，并且从文化角度提供敏感护理以促进卫生保健的发展。.

结论 处女控制和处女膜修复是父权制的基础，凭借暴力和控制来使女性服从。为了反抗这些行为，在一些私人和公共的领域里需要宏观和微观的行为去发展女性的人权。政治活动，国际辩论，部门之间的协作，比如健康保健与立法部门，可能会促进性别平等。一个以女性为中心的提案将会使得妇女更有能力去反对处女控制与处女膜修复。

KEYWORDS:

• Hymen reconstruction
• Virginity
• Qualitative study;
• Midwives
• Human rights
• Gender perspective

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Our sincere thanks go to all the midwives who took part in the study. Thanks to Lena Ljungdahl and Susanne Forsman, midwives and Masters in Caring Science Umeå University for providing a first pilot version of the data analysis.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

The study was financially supported by grants (344-2006-7280 and 344-2008-7456) from the Department of Nursing Umeå University Sweden, the Swedish Research Council, Challenging Gender Research Program Centers of Gender Excellence and from Umeå Medical District, the County Council of Västerbotten Sweden.