This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (5)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Role of Forensic Physicians in Controlling Female Sexuality

Martina W. Frank, MPH; Heidi M. Bauer, MD, MPH; Nadir Arican, MD; Sebnem Korur Fincanci, MD; Vincent Iacopino, MD, PhD

JAMA. 1999;282:485-490.

Context  Although the Turkish Medical Association has deemed "virginity examinations" a form of gender-based violence, women in Turkey are often subjected to such examinations by forensic physicians for both legal and social reasons. Little is known about these physicians' role and attitudes in this practice.

Objectives  To assess forensic physicians' experiences and attitudes regarding virginity examinations in Turkey and suggest potential solutions to the problems identified.

Design  Cross-sectional self-administered survey.

Setting  Surveys were completed during the Forensic Science Congress held in Kusadasi in April 1998 as well as in urban academic and medical practice settings between April and October 1998.

Participants  Of 158 physicians who practice, are formally trained in, or are in training for forensic medicine, 118 completed the survey (response rate, 74.7%).

Main Outcome Measures  Frequency and circumstances of conducting virginity examinations, opinions regarding beneficial and adverse consequences of these examinations, and recommendations for changing the practice, as measured by a 100-item questionnaire.

Results  Overall, survey respondents reported conducting 5901 examinations in the previous 12 months; 4045 were conducted because of alleged sexual assault and 1856 for social reasons. Although 68% of forensic physicians indicated that they believed virginity examinations are inappropriate in the absence of an allegation of sexual assault, 45% had conducted examinations for social reasons. The majority of the respondents (93%) agreed that the examinations are psychologically traumatic for the patient. In addition, more than half (58%) reported that at least 50% of patients undergo examinations against their will.

Conclusions  Nearly half of forensic physicians in Turkey conduct virginity examinations for social reasons despite beliefs that such examinations are inappropriate, traumatic to the patient, and often performed against the patient's will. Physicians' participation in such practices is inconsistent with principles of bioethics and international human rights.

Author Affiliations: Physicians for Human Rights, Boston, Mass (Ms Frank and Dr Iacopino); Program on Forced Migration and Health, Center for Population and Family Health, The Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY (Ms Frank); Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (Dr Bauer); and Forensic Medicine Department, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey (Drs Arican and Korur Fincanci).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Cultural Factors in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Traumatised Migrant Patients from Turkey
Schouler-Ocak et al.
Transcultural Psychiatry 2008;45:652-670.
ABSTRACT  

What Can We Do About Violence?
Cole and Flanagin
JAMA 1999;282:481-483.
FULL TEXT