Why are surgeries that promise restoring virginity becoming a trend?

In the race for modernity, the desire to become a virgin again through surgery is increasing. There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of such surgeries across the country, which is rather surprising. It is especially being noticed among women who are about to get married. What exactly is this surgery? Let us know more about it.

There has been a sudden increase in the number of people across India, willing to gain their virginity back by means of surgery. Surprisingly not just in the metros alone, in cities like Indore too, numbers have increased, informs Dr Ashwin Dash, a Cosmetic Surgeon based in Indore. "Women and girls are reaching out to me, unhesitant, to get 'Hymenoplasty' done, which is a surgery that helps regain virginity. A lot of these females are those who are about to get married."

Virginity is a sensitive issue in India and it is believed that a woman must consummate only with the man she is married to, as intimate relations prior to marriage are disapproved. Well, what is considered a private affair of a woman has the involvement of the whole society, which is rather unfair. On the contrary, men on the other hand are not judged, if they are sexually active in their life before marriage. However, it is not just about society, a lot of men too wish to marry a virgin girl, irrespective of their moral standards. In other words, virginity becomes a criterion when it comes to choosing the 'right girl' to get married to.

So when a girl is bound by such obligations, she undoubtedly would seek ways to feel accepted in society. This is the reason why there has been a sudden surge in the cases of women getting Hymenoplasty, which is basically the surgical restoration of the hymen, a thin piece of mucosal tissue that surrounds or partially covers the external female genitalia, which breaks when a girl first has sexual intercourse or at times due to other reasons. The surgery of repairing the hymen usually lasts for less than 30 minutes and costs around Rs. 50,000/- on average.

"Since the surgery is affordable by a larger section of society and is a quick procedure, women do not think twice before getting it done. It costs around Rs 30,000 to Rs 70,000, depending upon the hospital you choose. The surgery is simple and does not require immense care. The patient can go back home on the same day and need not stay in the hospital. Besides, one needs to be a little careful post the surgery and are advised to refrain from lifting heavy weights or exercising for a couple of weeks after surgery," says Dr Ashwin.

But is the surgery really justified, pertaining to the sexual preferences of a woman before marriage? According to the doctor, the rate of surgeries particularly increase before the wedding season. Apart from its effects on the woman's body, the surgery also somewhere affects her mental health. Living with a lie all their life can be challenging and the guilt of not being true to their partner can also affect them. Therefore, although hymenoplasty has somewhat become a trend in the current scenario, a woman must thoroughly think about it, before getting it done and make a wise decision, regardless of the social norms.