Over 100 women have had their virginity restored on the National Health Service over the past 10 years.
A freedom of information request has revealed that hospitals performed hymen reconstructions 109 times between 2007 to 2017. However, the true number is likely to be far higher as only nine hospitals bothered to supply figures.
Over 80 percent of the women who had the operation were single.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
RT reports: NHS England declined to reveal if the surgery was given to patients suffering mental issues, however, health service rules say such operations can be carried out where there are “physical and psychological” issues.
The reconstructive surgery was most frequently carried out at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Patients at the Norwich facility underwent the hymen reconnection 50 times since 2012, but the hospital did not reveal the cost of each procedure.
The Luton and Dunstable University Hospital in Bedfordshire did reveal their price tag of £12,727 ($17,210) per procedure. The centre performed 12 operations in total.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust carried out 15 of the procedures at an average cost of £743 ($1,005) each. North Bristol NHS Trust paid £11,950 ($16,160) for an unknown number of operations.
Private clinics in London charge up to £4,000 ($5,400) for the intimate operation.
International sex and relationship expert and counsellor Louise van der Velde said religion may be the motivator behind the surgery for some women, especially if they didn’t enjoy the experience the first time around.
“Often it’s not what it’s meant to be,” she told The Times. “It’s meant to be a sacred thing and you never forget losing it. Maybe they want to share it with their husbands by being as pure as possible again.”
According to the FoI request, three women said they were Muslim or Hindu; 15 identified as Christian; and eight belonged to the Church of England. 23 women did not identify with any religion.
Niamh Harris
So. The NHS refuses to provide dialysis for patients over 50, but they will waste resources providing new “hymens” to women who have lost theirs? I can understand doing it for rape victims (including muslima who have been raped and are therefore outcast), but to do it so that some women can pretend to be virgins again? That is completely wrong.
When NHS finds the resources to perform life-saving therapies to infants (who are frequently simply allowed to die of starvation and/or dehydration) and older people whom NHS deems “no longer useful to society”, _then_ perhaps it would be acceptable to perform these “cosmetic” virginity surgeries.