By Sainabou Sambou
Dr. Musa Manera, a medical doctor who specialises in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Programme Manager for Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health at the Ministry of Health has said that use of fake virginity pills lead to difficulties in having a child in the future, infections, and menstrual abnormality. “The introduction of a non-inductive item in the vagina causes a lot for problem for the woman in future and even in the present,” he warned. Dr Marena, also a lecturer at the University of The Gambia, was making these explanations in an exclusive interview with this medium.
He went on: “On the level of the practice, we have been seeing a few cases where patients coming to the hospital having difficulties in penetrating, infertility, sexually transmitted infection or even menstrual abnormality”.
He lamented the dangerous extent some young ladies are will to go in proving virginity to their partners; either out of desperation or just trying to fool their partners.
The Doctor explained that there are different types of virginity pills: some that are inserted for some hours or so for it to melt to produce the red color during sex with the partner; and others that will cause tightening. “This means they will cause injury in the vagina, as it will cause the virginal wall to stick together and that causes more problems to the woman in the future”.
On the brief history of virginity Dr. Marena said virginity is a social complex issue. “Traditionally the belief is that a virgin usually have to bleed during her first sexual encounter. This is usually the period of marriage; so there is lot of social pressure. In the context of The Gambia you have a tradition that very common across all tribes. The unfortunate aspect of it is usually is the women that are involved in it. You will either have your aunties, mothers and family members giving a white cloth to the bride on the night of her marriage which they expect her to spread on the bed in the course of your first sexual encounter and they expected her to bleed. The irony around that is that bleeding is not the result of a woman being a virgin.
He stated that there is no proven test for virginity worldwide and that there is no test to verify on virginity. Few us understand why women bleed during sex. It is based on the individual’s first sex encounter. It could be as a result of the woman not being relaxed and not lubricated or the woman being afraid and the man forcefully entering. There is usually trauma that occurs and that can happen to anybody”.
Dr Marena made reference to studies that indicated that only 37% of women; meaning that three out of ten women are likely to bleed. “The issue about the bleeding is not because you’re a virgin; one of the causes is that the woman is not of age - a younger woman who has her reproductive track very tight or somebody who had some injury or operation in FGM. What most people consider is the presence of the hymen. The hymen is an interesting organ in an individual. It is just a tin membrane that covers the opening of the vagina. A woman has about four openings; one of them is where the urine comes out, where the baby comes out, and where the menstrual blood and sexual intercourse occurs; that where the tin membrane is. Usually the membranes are of different types; some are born without it and the membrane doesn’t have any blood supply so tearing that membrane should not cause an individual to bleed,” he clarified.
He took the opportunity to mention “Taba” tobacco product some women insert it in their private parts causing a lot of corrosions and then injury to the vagina. “We have seen some of these things happening and most of the time patients don’t open up because they come with their partners, in most cases,” he said.
