GovWire

Guidance: Virginity testing and hymenoplasty multi-agency guidance

Department Of Health

October 17
13:30 2023

Details

This guidanceoffers advice for chief executives, directors, senior managers, front-line professionals within agencies and anyone else who may come in to contact with women and girls affected by virginity testing and hymenoplasty. It encourages agencies to cooperate and work together to protect and support those at risk of, or who have undergone, these procedures.

The Health and Care 2022 Act makes carrying out, offering, and aiding and abetting virginity testing and hymenoplasty illegal.

This follows the publication of the Tackling violence against women and girls strategy confirming that the government would seek to ban virginity testing and the independent Expert panel on hymenoplasty that recommended to government that hymenoplasty be banned.

Video summary of this guidance

You can also see an animated NHS video summarising the governments 2022 multi-agency guidance on virginity testing and hymenoplasty.

Published 1 July 2022
Last updated 17 October 2023 +show all updates
  1. Added link to NHS video on this guidance.

  2. Removal of reference to surgery to remove remnant fingers of the hymen.

  3. First published.

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