In a major reform, the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS)- Nashik is set to remove the virginity test and related topics from the syllabus of Forensic Medicine in MBBS course.
The decision to propose this reform was taken during the meeting of expert academic board chaired by Dr R J Bharma. Dr S Mumbare, Dr B S. Nagoba, Dr S More, Dr MK Doiebale, forensic experts Dr Hemant Godbole and Dr Sandip Kadu were present in the meeting.
This move came on the detailed report that was submitted on 26.12.18 to Dr KD Chauhan Registrar of MUHS by Professor of Forensic Medicine at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS) Sewagram Dr Indrajit Khandekar had tabled a detailed report before the registrar of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Dr KD Chauhan in December last year highlighting the worthlessness of the topic.
The report also stated that it was an unnecessary topic added into the curriculum without any scientific evidence.
Dr Khandekar had urged government and MUHS to remove the contents about ‘virginity test’ from the medical curriculum of forensic medicine subject of MBBS course. At present virginity is determined by the doctors by “virginity test”, which according to Dr Khandekar was unscientific and violation of human rights.
All the prescribed textbooks of forensic medicine of MBBS course include this topic along with other related aspects. However, none of them use reference from any scientific literature/ study to support the theory.
Interestingly, various courts including high courts across the country have ordered to carry out virginity test on females in the past.
Khandekar has argued in his report that inclusion of ‘signs of virginity’ in medical curriculum/ textbooks has created wrong impression in the minds of people that virginity test is scientific, hence there is need to highlight the unscientific aspect of the test.
