Virginity testing and hymenoplasty multi-agency guidance
Guidance for organisations and anyone who may come in to contact with women and girls affected by virginity testing and hymenoplasty.
- From:
- Department of Health and Social Care
- Published
- 1 July 2022
- Last updated
-
1211AprilAugust20242025 — See all updates
Documents
Details
This guidance offers advice for chief executives, directors, senior managers, front-linefrontline professionals within agencies and anyone else who may come in to contact with women and girls affected by virginity testing and hymenoplasty.
This Itguidance encourages agencies to cooperateco-operate and work together to protect and support those at risk of, or who have undergone, these procedures.
The Health and Care 2022 Act makes carrying out, offering, and aiding and abetting virginity testing and hymenoplasty illegal.
This follows the publication of the Tackling violence against women and girls strategy confirming that the government would seek to ban virginity testing and the independent Expertexpert panel on hymenoplasty that recommended to government that hymenoplasty be banned.
Video summary of this guidance
You can also see an animated NHS video summarising the government’s 2022 multi-agency guidance on virginity testing and hymenoplasty.
Updates to this page
Published 1 July 2022
Last updated 1211 AprilAugust 2024
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Update history
2025-08-11 12:27
Updated the guidance (and therefore video link) to clarify the definition of virginity testing and the hymen.
2024-04-12 08:07
Removal of sentence on ways the hymen can stretch or tear other than through sexual intercourse – due to reference source update. Several links to guidance and supporting information updated.
2023-10-17 14:30
Added link to NHS video on this guidance.
2023-08-16 12:34
Removal of reference to surgery to remove remnant fingers of the hymen.
2022-07-01 09:30
First published.
Details
This guidance offers advice for chief executives, directors, senior managers, front-linefrontline professionals within agencies and anyone else who may come in to contact with women and girls affected by virginity testing and hymenoplasty.
This Itguidance encourages agencies to cooperateco-operate and work together to protect and support those at risk of, or who have undergone, these procedures.
The Health and Care 2022 Act makes carrying out, offering, and aiding and abetting virginity testing and hymenoplasty illegal.
This follows the publication of the Tackling violence against women and girls strategy confirming that the government would seek to ban virginity testing and the independent Expertexpert panel on hymenoplasty that recommended to government that hymenoplasty be banned.
Video summary of this guidance
You can also see an animated NHS video summarising the government’s 2022 multi-agency guidance on virginity testing and hymenoplasty.
Updates to this page
Published 1 July 2022
Last updated 1211 AprilAugust 2024
+ show2025
href="#full-history">+ show all updates
-
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2025-08-11 12:27
Updated the guidance (and therefore video link) to clarify the definition of virginity testing and the hymen.
2024-04-12 08:07
Removal of sentence on ways the hymen can stretch or tear other than through sexual intercourse – due to reference source update. Several links to guidance and supporting information updated.
2023-10-17 14:30
Added link to NHS video on this guidance.
2023-08-16 12:34
Removal of reference to surgery to remove remnant fingers of the hymen.
2022-07-01 09:30
First published.
Details
This guidance offers advice for chief executives, directors, senior managers, front-linefrontline professionals within agencies and anyone else who may come in to contact with women and girls affected by virginity testing and hymenoplasty.
This Itguidance encourages agencies to cooperateco-operate and work together to protect and support those at risk of, or who have undergone, these procedures.
The Health and Care 2022 Act makes carrying out, offering, and aiding and abetting virginity testing and hymenoplasty illegal.
This follows the publication of the Tackling violence against women and girls strategy confirming that the government would seek to ban virginity testing and the independent Expertexpert panel on hymenoplasty that recommended to government that hymenoplasty be banned.
Video summary of this guidance
You can also see an animated NHS video summarising the government’s 2022 multi-agency guidance on virginity testing and hymenoplasty.
Updates to this page
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2025-08-11 12:27
Updated the guidance (and therefore video link) to clarify the definition of virginity testing and the hymen.
2024-04-12 08:07
Removal of sentence on ways the hymen can stretch or tear other than through sexual intercourse – due to reference source update. Several links to guidance and supporting information updated.
2023-10-17 14:30
Added link to NHS video on this guidance.
2023-08-16 12:34
Removal of reference to surgery to remove remnant fingers of the hymen.
2022-07-01 09:30
First published.