Blood capsules and membranes
Company turns “hymen myth” into a business
September 29, 2024, 2:51 p.m
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In many cultures, virginity is valued. To keep up appearances, women resort to all sorts of measures. A company from Baden-Württemberg offers blood capsules and artificial hymen. Demand is increasing. But the products are controversial.
Most customers only order once and there are hardly any reviews. The man describes the business he runs with his company in Waghäusel near Karlsruhe as “really weird” – and that is the reason why he prefers not to be named. Because he sells blood capsules and “artificial hymen”.
This is a powder made from food coloring and a few additives that women can insert into the vagina either in a capsule or embedded in two cellulose membranes. The capsule is said to dissolve within two hours, the postage stamp-sized cellulose snippets within a few minutes – and red spots are said to remain on the bed sheets when they come into contact with body fluid. This is how virginity is supposed to be proven.
What may seem bizarre is common in many cultures. For example, in India, sex before marriage is traditionally frowned upon, so some families inspect sheets after the wedding night. Women who are not virgins are considered immoral – a loss of honor for them and their families. If there is a suspicion that they are no longer a virgin, families of the brides are ostracized in some conservative communities and those affected are cast out.
So it is not surprising that, according to the managing director, India is one of the largest sales markets for the “VirginiaCare” brand products. But deliveries are basically made worldwide, including to other parts of Asia and the Arab region.
Controversial discussions in workshops
Virginity is also a recurring issue in Germany, as advice centers make clear. Gianna Gentili from the Stuttgart girls’ health shop reports that demand for workshops is very high. “There are always controversial discussions.” Valentina Sbahi from the Balance family planning center in Berlin says that girls and women from other federal states also come to her. “50 to 60 percent of my clients were born in Germany. They went to school here.”
Jutta Pliefke from Pro Familia has also found that self-confident women are caught up in cultural values before the wedding. Muslim women come for advice, as do women from strict Catholic families. “This is an ongoing issue for us.” Some threats are very specific. The gynecologist explains the female anatomy and the options available.
There is always a demand for hymen reconstructions, in which the hymen (hymen) is to be restored. These operations are more dangerous compared to blood capsules and expensive, with prices in the four-digit range, says Sbahi. “And you have no guarantee that it will bleed.” That’s why she thinks fake blood products are better.
Terre des Femmes: Do not take advantage of the emergency situation
The “VirginaCare” complete package normally costs around 130 euros. Customers can order it online or in the pharmacy. It contains, among other things, two blood capsules and “artificial hymen”. “Then the women can try both out beforehand,” says the managing director. Products are also sold individually. The man doesn’t mention sales figures. Just this much: demand has recently increased by 10 to 20 percent per year.
These can only be emergency solutions, says Lena Henke, consultant for sexual and reproductive rights at the organization Terre des Femmes. In any case, they are not tools of self-determination. She particularly criticizes some advertising slogans: “With statements like ‘You have damaged your hymen’, the company exploits the fear of those affected and reproduces false beliefs. They contribute to the dangerous myth of the hymen and the concept of virginity becoming persistent hold.” The plight of women should not be exploited for commercial interests.
“Myth of the hymen”
The women’s rights organization recently published an educational brochure “There is no hymen: information about the hymen”. Like similar campaigns on the “myth of the hymen,” this one clears up fundamental misunderstandings: “The hymen has nothing to do with being a virgin.” There is no piece of skin that closes the vagina and tears when a penis penetrates. The hymen is a kind of ring of skin and can look different; some women don’t have one at all. And: It doesn’t always bleed the first time you have sex.
Topics that gynecologist Pliefke also discusses again and again – and sometimes uses a mirror so that the girls and women can get an impression for themselves. “The anatomical facts are often not clear.”
Milena Aboyan has also discovered that simple information in biology lessons is not enough. With “Elaha”, the director made a film on exactly this topic, which was nominated for the German Film Prize. She had previously spoken to the German-Kurdish community. “We felt it was time to talk about it.”
She is now showing the film in schools, among other places, and is receiving a lot of positive feedback, says Aboyan. From their point of view, the issue of virginity is only a specific problem. “Patriarchy in society is a problem in general.” It’s about women and female bodies being sexualized. “We have to change the narrative.”
This is not just the job of women, emphasizes Aboyan. And it’s not just an issue for migrants either. “Patriarchy has no origin.” Marital rape was not a crime in Germany until 1997. Pliefke also warns against pointing the finger at others: “It wasn’t that long ago that we were ashamed in Germany.” The idea that a bride had to be a virgin was still widespread in the 1950s.
