The examination that is supposed to reveal virginity reveals nothing.
The belief that a first sexual experience leaves a visible, permanent mark is one of the most consequential wrong ideas in medicine — it is still used to justify examinations of girls and women in many countries. Studies following adolescents found that around half of those who had had intercourse had no detectable hymenal change.
The tissue varies enormously between individuals from birth, changes shape through puberty under the influence of oestrogen, and heals quickly when it does tear. There is no baseline to compare against, which is the fundamental reason the examination cannot work even in principle.
