no more bloodless sheets

via Frisky

My friend Ranya tipped me off to a product, Gigimo's "Artifical Virginity Hymen," via an article in HuffPo suggesting that Egyptian lawmakers may ban it. Gigimo is a sex-toy shop based in China, so naturally the marketing for this product focuses on fulfilling whatever fetishes men may have about women who are virgins. I am much more concerned about this product from a cultural perspective - Egypt's claim that the product encourages premarital sex, and undermines the principle of women maintaining strict purity. The argument is that the product allows women to misrepresent their sexuality, and thereby defy Islamic law.

In a society where honor killings/beatings are not out of the ordinary, this product has significant potential. At $30/piece, it's not necessarily readily available, but is much more so than hymen reconstructive surgery .

Does the product get to the root of the problem, the cultural stigmatization of women's sexuality in the Middle East? No, not directly. But hopefully such controversies, and yes, the associated media attention, will guide a more thorough discussion on the cultural implications of such a device. On the other hand, there is always the risk that any cultural exploration/intervention will only lead lead to colonial backlash and cultural defense in the form of stricter punishments.