Today in most advanced societies virginity tests are considered demeaning to a woman’s honor and thus a violation of human rights. The Amnesty International in fact lists virginity testing as a kind of violation against women since it equates a woman’s worth with an aspect of her body and because of the historical use of the notion of virginity as form of sexual control. However in many cultures the practice continues covertly or overtly as a way of increasing the worth of a girl before marriage. In several African countries the specter of AIDS has compelled community leaders to use virginity testing, rightly or wrongly, as a way of preventing teens from engaging in sexual behavior.
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