Underage schoolgirls in Turkmenistan are reportedly being made to take virginity tests to ‘assess their morality’.
Parents told local media they are furious about these compulsory checks, which are done at school by state-approved doctors.
If a girl is found to fail the test, she is to be reported to the police and security services. The girls could then be questioned about their moral standards.
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These tests are being given to girls aged 14 to 18 in the cities of Balkanabat and Turkmenbashi, according to local reports.
One education official, talking anonymously to local media, said: “School children in grades 9 to 11 are forced to undergo gynaecological examinations. During the inspection, girls who have had sexual intercourse are identified, and their lists are transferred to the local police and the Ministry of National Security.”
The government has said these tests are being carried out to help track down adults who have sex with minors. One official said: “This is being done to identify and bring to justice those who have had intimate relationships with minors.”
The tests reportedly come following an increase in teenage pregnancies in the region. Medics around the world have previously slammed so-called virginity tests as intrusive and inaccurate.
Turkmenistan is a former Soviet country that has been ruled by repressive, totalitarian regimes since it declared its independence in 1991. The age of sexual consent there is 16.
Turkmenistan has been widely criticised by international organisations for human rights abuses. Amnesty International said in a 2022 report: “Serious human rights violations continued unabated across the board, including arbitrary detentions and politically motivated convictions of anyone daring to criticise or challenge official policy. The authorities continued to exercise strict control over the flow of information and all media.
“Turkmenistan failed to take meaningful action to address climate change. Women and girls saw their rights and freedoms, including bodily autonomy, restricted further. Abortion was effectively banned. Consensual sex between men remained a criminal offence.”