American rapper and actor T.I. is trending on social media
for a comment he made in a podcast interview on Tuesday.
T.I. revealed in the interview with Nazanin Mandi and Nadia Mohan on “Ladies Like Us”, that he takes his daughter, 18 to the gynecologist every year “to check her hymen is intact.”
The interview was wide-ranging including talking about his
parenting style and whether he has had the “sex talk” with his daughters.
In his words, “Not only have we had the conversation, we have
yearly trips to the gynecologist to check her hymen.”
Then, he added, “Yes, I go with her …. I will say, as of her
18th birthday, her hymen is still intact.”
He noted that he had been taking his daughter to see the gyn
since she was 16. “[I will] put a sticky note on her door: Gyn. Tomorrow.
9:30.”
“So, we’ll go and sit down and the doctor comes and talk, and the doctor’s maintaining a high level of professionalism.
“He’s like, ‘you know, sir, I have to, in order to share
information’ – I’m like, ‘Deyjah, they want you to sign this so we can share
information. Is there anything you would not want me to know? See, Doc? Ain’t
no problem.”
Though, he acknowledged the doctors had told him there are
other ways the hymen can be broken other than through sexual penetration.
“And so, then they come and say, ‘Well, I just want you to know that there are other ways besides sex that the hymen can be broken like bike riding, athletics, horseback riding, and just other forms of athletic physical activity,” he said.
T.I. revealed what he’d tell the doctor when they inform him
the hymen can be broken through other means.
“So, I say, ‘Look, Doc, she doesn’t ride no horses, she doesn’t ride no bike, she doesn’t play no sports. Just check the hymen please, and give me back my results expeditiously.”
What’s Virginity testing?
Hymen inspection or virginity testing is a medical procedure
that involves a doctor checking the hymen for tear or stretching.
In 2018, three UN agencies – the World Health Organization
(WHO), UN Human Rights and UN Women – condemned the practice labelling it “An unnecessary invasive practice
that has no medical benefit.”
A WHO statement reads, “This medically unnecessary, and often
times painful, humiliating and traumatic practice must end … there is no
evidence that either method can prove whether a woman or girl has had vaginal
intercourse or not.”
And last month, a representative for the New York State
Department of Health described the test as “an assault on young women with no
scientific or medical basis.”
Several people including celebrities have come out on social
media to condemn T.I.’s comments with some expressing shock and disgust.
T.I and his daughter Deyjah are refusing to respond to
comments as the backlash pile up. However, Deyjah’s account have liked several
tweets criticizing her father.
