Turkey May Drop Virginity Checks

The government decided Tuesday to revise controversial rules authorizing virginity tests on female students and the expulsion of “unchaste” ones from school, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The rule has been denounced by human rights activists and feminists as a violation of basic human and women’s rights.

Anatolia said the revisions would be made public in coming days, but gave no other details.

Female virginity is identified in much of Turkey with family honor.

It is common for the relatives of a newly married couple to wait outside the bedroom on the wedding night to see if the sheets are stained with blood, the traditional sign that the bride was a virgin. If she fails the test, the bride is sent back to her father’s house.

Virginity exams are also frequently conducted on unmarried women under police detention or those applying for government jobs, though such exams are illegal.