Since looking at the market and the charts today are really a huge strain on the eyes, I decided to go to Youtube and just watch some informative documentaries. I always find learning something new relaxing and a bit fulfilling. It makes me feel that my time has not been wasted and has not been for naught.
So I was scrolling down the search results for the word "documentary" and most of the videos there are already familiar to me. Yes, I watch a lot of documentaries, I'm kind of a nerd that way, so what? Bite me. Lol.
And then, there lies a little title that caught my eye. The video was from DW Documentary entitled "Dictating Virginity".
We all know what virginity is, or do we?
The most common and collective definition we have for a virgin is someone who hasn't experienced sex yet. A pure innocent body. And for all the purposes it serves, virginity only matters when it comes to ladies. No one really cares if a boy or a man is a virgin or not.
In many cultures, virginity weighs a lot when it comes to the value of the girl. Some cultures even view those who aren't virgins anymore as "defiled" or "broken" even.
The documentary is an eye-opening piece since it tackles not only the cultural relations of virginity but also the political side of it. Yes, you read it right, being a virgin is also connected to politics. Well, at this age, I wouldn't be surprised if everything is connected to damn politics.
The video makes an interesting point with regards to virginity, it's a tool that is used to control the minds of the people.
Restoring Virginity
Since some cultures really pay massive attention to a lady's virginity, some women resort to medical solutions and procedures to correct the "mistake" they made and to try and erase a part of their existence.
As we commonly believe, being a virgin can be characterized by an intact hymen. The hymen is a part of the female genitalia that we imagine is like a thin sheet of cells that lie inside the vagina. It is believed that once a girl participated in sexual intercourse, the hymen will be torn apart by the male genitalia.
There are tons of products that claim to "restore" the hymen tissues of females and in turn giving them back their virginity. There are pills, capsules, lotions, and even soap that tells people that they can turn back the anatomical clock of the female body.
Aside from the products, there are surgical procedures that one can undergo to restore their virginity such as hymenoplasty.
As it stands, virginity is also a million-dollar industry.
Virginity and the Hymen
According to the documentary, there are studies and researches that show that the relation of the hymen and virginity is nothing but a myth. And these studies and researches aren't new. This goes back to as early as 1905. But why is the myth so persistent?
I think it's because of the close-mindedness of the cultures and the society as a whole. And I also think that this has also something to do with gender issues and some underlying concerns. I am not gonna say more about that, that calls for another topic and another day.
I am not a doctor and of course, I am not an OB-GYN but I understood what they wanted to say about that all-so important hymen. As they say, contrary to popular belief, it's not a sheet of tissue that is underneath the female genitalia, it's more of an elastic ring that is inside. The size of the hole of the ring may vary from person to person and the elasticity of it also varies.
Also, according to established researches and studies, the "bleeding" that happens from the very "first time" of the intimate encounter only happens with around 50% of females. Just 50%. What do you make of that? Does the other 50% lie with their status? Nope, maybe that 50% have a bigger hymen opening than others.
Anyhow, that bleeding isn't a clear indication of a female's virginity.
They have also conducted an experiment comparing an experienced sex workers' hymen to those of young girls who did not have sexual experience yet and the doctors could not even tell the difference.
I guess that's another similarity a guy and a lady share, their virginity could neither be proven nor disproven.
In summary, they are saying that scientifically, physically, and anatomically, we cannot determine if a female is a virgin or not, there isn't a way. Therefore, virginity is more of a personal concept rather than a physical trait that can be proven.
**a cross post ...