The Business of Artificial Virginal Hymens

(Boxun)  You walk into a public restroom for women in a Chinese city and you are likely to see a sign such as this one: "Artificial virginal hymens for sale: 500-700 RMB.  Telephone number: XXXXXXXX."  Your first response is, "Hmmm ... that's more expensive than the standard price?"

Anyway, there are enough contrabands in this world already.  Once upon a time, it was just common items such as needles, bowls, plates, name brand clothing and so on.  They may be fakes, but they are perfectly usable.  Have you not seen the beggars in the street dressed in their Pierre Cardin clothes?  Or else the prices are so cheap that no one will feel a thing about them.

Later on, we have fake cigarettes, liquor, medicine, food, consumer electronics and cosmetics.  Now some of these can sometimes be dangerous.  Finally, we have fake seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides and these are usually pursued to the full extent of the law.  As for the fake documents, money bills, receipts, lottery tickets and stock certificates, they are usually identifiable with care.  However, we seem to have some difficulty identifying the fake monks, nuns, reporters, teachers, police officers or even army generals; and there are even fake beggars.

So it will comes as no surprise that fake virgins have come into being.  Take a look around in China.  Most of the hospitals and clinics offer "hymen repair surgery."  Even cosmeticians and underground doctors offer the service.  Medically, this is a simple process that is no different from stitching together a skin surface tear.  This is a simple surgical procedure that should take about 40 minutes and the patients can move around immediately afterwards.  The cost of the procedure is usually between 1,000 to 3,000 RMB.  This is a simple procedure with a huge profit margin, and that is why hospitals are delighted to offer it.

According to one doctor, he began offering the service in 1997 and he has treated more than 1,000 cases.  All of them are females younger than 30 years old, including a 16-year-old.  The "re-created virgin" service emerged several years ago in Beijing and Shanghai, and it is now present in many cities around the country.  One Guangzhou hospital conducted more than 300 operations last year.

However, the hymen repair service has the drawback of being relatively expensive at several thousand RMB.  It is also inconvenient because you have to go to the hospital.  More importantly, one needs to have the operation every time that the need arrives.  (6Park)  Recently, a hospital in Hangzhou had a bout of conscience attack.  When a prostitute showed up for her ninth hymen repair in the last 3 years, the hospital refused on moral grounds.

Enter the "artificial virginal hymen."  (Interestingly, in the photo below, it is called "man-made hymen".  Why can't it be woman-made?)

On the Chinese city streets everywhere, you will find these ads:

• "Your virginity back in 5 minutes"
• "The product of high-technology!  Your unspeakable secret will be erased!"
• "Get your virginity back for 260 RMB!"
• "No surgery, no shots, no medicine, no side-effects.  Only 260 RMB!"

The user instructions remind people that "When the time goes, please remember to act like you are a virgin!"

At 260 RMB (and it is actually priced a lot less), this is undercutting the hymen repair services offered by the hospitals and clinics.  How will the hospitals and clinics counter the erosion of their lucrative practices?  This is about brand trust.

Here are some stories that have probably been planted.

• Times Commercial Daily: Ms. Liu got married last October.  She has had sexual intercourse with a previous boyfriend and her husband was a very conservative type.  In order not to affect the state of her marriage, Ms. Liu went out to a sex specialty store to purchase a Japanese import artificial virginal hymen by the brand name of "Virtuous Girl Red (圣女红)".  On the night of the marriage, the artificial virgin hymen broke and released a particularly red liquid with a strange smell.  The next day, Ms. Liu had swelling in her vagina and it was painful to urinate.  But she was afraid that her husband might find out and she hid that from him.  One year into her marriage, she had not gotten pregnant and she continued to have discharges.  After seeing a doctor, Ms. Liu found out that she has a severe case of infection of the uterus and ovary.  If untreated, Ms. Liu could become infertile.  The doctor told her that since she had no previous case history, the infection must have come from the red liquid in the artificial virginal hymen.
   
• East Asian Economic & Trade News: On the night before Ms. Sun got married, she asked a friend to buy an artificial virginal hymen by the brand name of "Night Red (夜红)."  But even the wedding took place, the artificial hymen came off and there was a terrible smell from the red liquid that came out.  Soon after, Ms. Sun experienced pains during urination.  The doctor diagnosed urinary tract infection.
   
• East Asian Economic & Trade News:  Ms. Zhang had prior sexual experience before her marriage and her husband was a very conservative person.  To make sure that her marriage was flawless, she spent 400 RMB to purchase an artificial virginal hymen during a business trip to Beijing.  On the night of the wedding, she installed the artificial hymen as described in the instruction booklet.  She climbed into bed carefully.  Unexpected, the artificial hymen fell out and broke.  Her husband felt cheated and divorced her the next day.