German company under scrutiny for marketing vaginal tightening agents, vulva whitening products, andsynthetic hymens
In the digital age, a German-based company named VirginiaCare has made headlines for selling products that promise to restore virginity without surgery. Registered in the UK, the company offers a variety of "vaginal care" products, including retightening gels, vaginal lightening masks for bleaching intimate areas, and the most controversial - virginity blood pills and artificial hymens.
The virginity blood pills are capsules inserted into the vagina that dissolve, releasing a liquid to mimic hymenal blood. Artificial hymens, on the other hand, are ultra-thin membranes that fix in place inside the vagina and deliver a blood mixture when pierced during sex to simulate virginity.
While the products offered by VirginiaCare are cheaper compared to surgical hymen replacements, which cost an average of £1,750, their legitimacy and ethical implications have been questioned. The company's website contains positive reviews from customers, despite the controversial nature of the products. However, the authenticity of these testimonials has raised concerns, leading some to question the ethics of the company's practices.
The madonna-whore complex, a psychoanalytic framework, proposes that men view women as either virginal Madonnas or debased whores, placing the centre of a woman's identity and worth between her thighs. Companies like VirginiaCare, exploiting this complex, are morally reprehensible and irresponsible.
The demand for VirginiaCare's products has significantly increased since 2010, particularly with the influx of refugees from Muslim-populated countries into Germany. Social and religious beliefs perpetuate the myth that hymens symbolize sexual purity, leading some women to seek hymen reconstruction surgery and virginity testing.
However, it's important to note that hymens can grow back after damage, debunking the myth that they are a permanent marker of virginity. A thin tissue called the hymen, traditionally associated with virginity, is not present in every vagina.
In the UK, virginity testing and hymenoplasties are illegal due to health risks, but there is no real regulation for non-surgical or 'non-invasive' options like those offered by VirginiaCare. While deceptive marketing or counterfeit versions of a product might be subject to regulation, the sale itself of products designed to fake a hymen such as VirginiaCare is not specifically prohibited by law based on current information. Sellers might still be subject to consumer protection laws if claims about the product are false or misleading, but this is a general legal principle rather than a specific ban.
Women who fear stigma and potential violence by their partner or family members upon being discovered as 'non-virgins' need comprehensive sexual education and resources to exit abusive environments, not cheap gimmicks. It's crucial to challenge and change the cultural norms that perpetuate the need for such products.
References:
- FTC Enforcement Actions Against Telemedicine and Weight-Loss Companies for Deceptive Practices
- Brand Counterfeiting: A Growing Problem in the Digital Age
- Criminal Cases Against Fake Products Sold Under Brands
- Health and Sex Education Statutory Guidance
- No Specific Regulation Found for Hymen-Faking Products
The company, VirginiaCare, deals in products like virginity blood pills and artificial hymens, which are dubious in their legitimacy and ethical implications, falling under the category of health-and-wellness without providing genuine solutions. These products, while capitalizing on the madonna-whore complex, are a misleading attempt to cater to women's health and sexual health concerns, instead of providing comprehensive sexual education and resources.
