The virginity fraud | Nina Dølvik Brochmann and Ellen Støkken Dahl

翻译人员: psjmz mz 校对人员: Hazel Yan

Nina Dølvik Brochmann: We grew up believing

妮娜·多维克·布罗克曼： 我们从小就以为

that the hymen is a proof of virginity.

阴道瓣是贞操的证明。

But it turns out, we were wrong.

事实证明，这种想法是错的。

What we discovered

我们发现，

is that the popular story we're told about female virginity

我们耳熟能详的那些 有关女性贞操的故事

is based on two anatomical myths.

是建立在两个解剖学角度 的错误观念之上的。

The truth has been known in medical communities for over 100 years,

一百多年来，这些观念的真实情况 早已被医学界所熟知，

yet somehow these two myths continue to make life difficult

可不知为何， 那两个错误观念却根深蒂固，

for women around the world.

一直给全世界的女性带来麻烦。

Ellen Støkken Dahl: The first myth is about blood.

艾伦·斯托肯·肯达尔： 第一个错误观念和流血有关。

It tells us that the hymen breaks and bleeds

这种观念认为：处女在进行 第一次阴道性交的时候，

the first time a woman has vaginal sex.

阴道瓣会破裂并且流血。

In other words, if there is no blood on the sheets afterwards,

换句话说，性交之后， 如果床单上没有留下血迹，

then the woman was simply not a virgin.

那这个女人就不是处女。

The second myth is a logical consequence of the first.

第二个错误观念是 第一个观念的逻辑结论。

Since the hymen is thought to break and bleed,

因为阴道瓣会破裂、流血，

people also believe that it actually disappears

人们认为阴道瓣之后就消失了，

or is in some way radically altered during a woman's first intercourse.

或者是在第一次性交时， 通过某种方式发生了根本的改变。

If that were true,

如果那种想法成立的话，

one would easily be able to determine if a woman is a virgin or not

辨别出一个女人是不是 处女就没什么难的，

by examining her genitals,

只要检验她的生殖器，

by doing a virginity check.

做做贞洁测试就行了。

NDB: So that's our two myths:

妮娜：所以这就是 我们所说的两个错误观念：

virgins bleed,

处女会流血，

and hymens are lost forever.

以及阴道瓣会永远消失。

Now, this may sound like a minor issue to you.

这个问题对你们来说 可能没什么大不了的。

Why should you care

为什么你们要在意

about an obscure little skin fold on the female body?

女性身上一个不起眼的小皮褶呢？

But the truth is, this is about so much more

可事实上，这其中意义重大，

than an anatomical misunderstanding.

不仅仅是对于身体结构 的误解那么简单。

The myths about the hymen have lived on for centuries

有关阴道瓣的错误观念 已经存在了数百年，

because they have cultural significance.

因为这种现象具有文化意义。

They have been used as a powerful tool

几乎在每个文化、 宗教或是历史时期中，

in the effort to control women's sexuality

这些观念在控制女人性行为方面

in about every culture, religion and historical decade.

都充当了强有力的工具。

Women are still mistrusted,

如果女性在新婚之夜没有流血的话，

shamed,

她们依旧饱受质疑，

harmed

羞辱，

and, in the worst cases, subjected to honor killings

伤害，最糟糕的情况，甚至会被

if they don't bleed on their wedding night.

惨无人道地“荣誉谋杀”。

Other women are forced through degrading virginity checks,

有些女人哪怕只是为了 得到一份工作，

simply to obtain a job,

或挽救自己的名声，

to save their reputation

或是为了结婚，就不得不接受

or to get married.

有损人格的贞操检查。

ESD: Like in Indonesia,

艾伦：比如说在印度尼西亚，

where women are systematically examined to enter military service.

女人们在服兵役之前 都要接受系统的检验。

After the Egyptian uprisings in 2011,

在 2011 年埃及起义之后，

a group of female protesters were forced to undergo virginity checks

一群女性抗议者被军队强制进行了

by their military.

贞操检查。

In Oslo, doctors are examining the hymens of young girls

在奥斯陆，医生们会对 年轻女孩的阴道瓣进行检查，

to reassure parents that their children are not ruined.

从而向父母们证明 他们的孩子没有被玷污。

And sadly, the list goes on.

可悲的是，这样的事还有很多。

Women are so afraid not to live up to the myths about the hymen

女人们很害怕自己达不到 关于阴道瓣的那些传言中的标准，

that they choose to use different virginity quick fixes

所以她们选择去使用 各种贞操快速修复手术，

to assure a bleeding.

以确保自己会流血。

That could be plastic surgery,

这些手段或许是 被称作“贞操修复术”

known as "revirgination,"

的整形手术，

it could be vials of blood poured on the sheets after sex

也有可能是性生活后 将一小瓶血洒在床单上，

or fake hymens bought online,

或者是从网上购买假的阴道瓣，

complete with theater blood

连同道具用血，

and a promise to "kiss your deep, dark secret goodbye."

承诺“向你难以启齿的秘密吻别”。

NDB: By telling girls that no deed can be kept secret,

妮娜：通过告知女孩们 没有什么事情是可以隐瞒的，

that their bodies will reveal them no matter what,

因为她们的身体 不论怎样都会走漏风声，

we have endowed them with fear.

我们已经让她们感到恐惧。

Girls are afraid of ruining themselves,

女孩们害怕“玷污”了自己，

either through sport,

不论是通过运动，

play,

游戏，

tampon use

使用卫生棉塞

or a sexual activity.

或者是性活动。

We have curtailed their opportunities and their freedoms.

我们已经干涉了她们的机会和自由。

It's time we put an end to the virginity fraud.

现在是时候让我们去 杜绝这种贞操欺诈了。

It's time we break the myths about the hymen

现在是时候去一次性了结

once and for all.

关于阴道瓣的谣言了。

ESD: We are medical students,

艾伦：我们是医学院的学生，

sexual health workers

性健康工作者，

and the authors of "The Wonder Down Under."

也是《私密处的奇幻旅程》 这本书的作者。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

That's a popular science book about the female genitals.

那是有关女性生殖器官 的一本科学畅销书。

And in our experience, people seem to believe

从我们自己的经验来看， 人们貌似会去相信

that the hymen is some kind of a seal covering the vaginal opening.

阴道瓣是一种包裹在 引道开口上的密封条。

In Norwegian, it is even called "the virgin membrane."

在挪威语里，它甚至被叫做“处女膜”。

And with this, we picture something fragile,

根据这种说法，我们把它看做 一个很脆弱的东西，

something easily destructible,

一个很容易破坏的东西，

something you can rip through,

一个可以被撕裂的东西，

perhaps like a sheet of plastic wrapping.

可能像是一张塑料包装纸那样。

You may have wondered why we brought a hula hoop onstage today.

你可能会奇怪，为什么我们 把一个呼啦圈带到了台上。

We'll show you.

我们来演示一下。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Now, it is very hard to hide

现在，这个呼啦圈经历了什么

that something has happened to this hoop, right?

已经很难隐藏了，对吧？

It is different before and after I punched it.

我打破它之后，它变得不一样了。

The seal is broken,

膜破裂了，

and unless we change the plastic,

除非我们换掉塑料膜，

it won't get back to its intact state.

否则它就不会回到原样。

So if we wanted to do a virginity check on this hoop right here,

所以假如我们现在要在这里

right now,

检查呼啦圈的贞洁，

that would be very easy.

会非常容易。

It's easy to say that this hoop is not a virgin anymore.

可以轻松地下结论说 这个呼啦圈不是处女了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

NDB: But the hymen is nothing like a piece of plastic

妮娜：但阴道瓣并不像 一个包裹食物的

you can wrap around your food,

塑料膜那样，

or a seal.

也不是一个封条。

In fact ...

事实上，

it's more like this --

它更像这样——

a scrunchie or a rubber band.

像个发圈或橡皮筋。

The hymen is a rim of tissue at the outer opening of the vagina.

阴道瓣是阴道外开口的一圈组织。

And usually, it has a doughnut or a half-moon shape

通常情况下， 处女膜呈环状或半月型，

with a large, central hole.

中间有一个大的孔。

But this varies a lot,

但它的形状十分多样，

and sometimes hymens can have fringes,

有时候，阴道瓣会有花边，

it can have several holes,

会有多个孔，

or it can consist of lobes.

或者由几个分叶组成。

In other words, hymens naturally vary a lot in looks,

换句话说，阴道瓣的外形本就多样，

and that is what makes it so hard to do a virginity check.

这就使得贞操检查非常困难。

ESD: Now that we know a bit more about the hymen's anatomy,

艾伦：现在我们已经了解了 一些阴道瓣的解剖知识，

it's time to get back to our two myths:

是时候回到我们 的两大谬误观念上了：

virgins bleed,

处女流血，

hymens are lost forever.

阴道瓣会永远消失。

But the hymen doesn't have to break at all.

然而，阴道瓣有时根本无需破裂。

The hymen is like a scrunchie in function as well as in looks.

阴道瓣和束发带不仅 看起来一样，功能也相似。

And you can stretch a scrunchie, right?

你可以拉伸束发带，对吧？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You can stretch a hymen, too.

你也可以拉伸阴道瓣。

In fact, it's very elastic.

事实上，它非常有弹性。

And for a lot of women,

对于很多女性来说，

the hymen will be elastic enough to handle a vaginal intercourse

阴道瓣的弹性足够应对阴道性交

without sustaining any damage.

而毫发无损。

For other women, the hymen may tear a bit to make room for the penis,

对有些女性，处女膜可能会 撕裂一点，给阴茎制造空间，

but that won't make it disappear.

但这并不会使之消失，

But it may look a bit different from before.

但样子可能会变得 跟以前有些不一样。

It naturally follows that you can't examine the hymen

妮娜：那么很显然， 通过检查阴道瓣

to check for virginity status.

去甄别贞操是不可行的。

This was noted over 100 years ago in 1906

这点在100年前的1906年就已经

by the Norwegian doctor Marie Jeancet.

被挪威医生玛丽·申赛特指出。

She examined a middle-aged sex worker

她检查了一位中年性工作者，

and concluded that her genitalia were reminiscent of a teenage virgin.

得出结论说，她的生殖器 跟十几岁的处女并无区别。

But that makes sense, right?

但这说得通，对吧？

Because if her hymen was never damaged during sex,

因为如果她的阴道瓣 从来不会在性交中受损，

then what were we expecting to see?

那么我们还能期待看到什么呢？

ESD: Since hymens come in every shape and form,

艾伦：既然阴道瓣形状外观各异，

it is difficult to know

就很难知道

if a dent or a fold in it is there because of previous damage

一个凹痕或褶皱是因为早先的受损，

or if it's just a normal anatomical variant.

还是只是生理上的自然差异。

The absurdity of virgin testing

贞操测试的荒谬可以完全体现在

is illustrated in a study done on 36 pregnant teenagers.

一个针对 36 位怀孕少女的研究中。

When doctors examined their hymens,

当医生检查她们的阴道瓣时，

they could only find clear signs of penetration

36 个女孩中，他们只发现了

in two out of the 36 girls.

2位有明显的穿破迹象。

So unless you believe in 34 cases of virgin births --

所以除非你相信有34例童贞受孕——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

we must all agree

我们必须同意，

that also our second myth has taken a vital blow.

我们的第二个谬误 已经遭受了致命的打击。

You simply cannot look a woman between her legs

你根本不能够通过 女性两腿之间的状况

and read her sexual story.

去解读她的性史。

NDB: Like most myths, the myths about the hymen are untrue.

妮娜：跟很多谬误观点一样， 关于处女膜的谬误是不真实的。

There is no virgin seal that magically disappears after sex,

并不存在性交后 会神秘消失的处女封条，

and half of virgins can easily have sex without bleeding.

一半的处女性交都不会出血。

We wish we could say that by removing these myths,

我们当然希望通过移除这些谬误，

everything would be OK,

一切就都会好起来。

that shame, harm and honor killings would all just disappear.

羞耻，伤害和荣誉谋杀就会全部消失。

But of course, it's not that simple.

但当然，事情并没有那么简单。

Sexual oppression of women comes from something much deeper

女性的性压迫来自比解剖学上

than a simple anatomical misunderstanding about the properties of the hymen.

对阴道瓣的误解更深层的误解。

It's a question of cultural and religious control of women's sexuality.

这是一个对女性性行为 进行文化和宗教控制的问题，

And that is much harder to change.

也是更难被改变的。

But we must try.

但我们必须尝试。

ESD: As medical professionals, this is our contribution.

艾伦：作为医学人士， 这是我们可以做的。

We want every girl, parent and [future] husband to know

我们想让每个女孩， 父母和未来的丈夫知道

what the hymen is and how it works.

阴道瓣是什么，有什么功能。

We want them to know

我们想让他们知道

that the hymen can't be used as a proof of virginity.

阴道瓣不能用于贞洁检查。

And that way, we can remove one of the most powerful tools

这样，今天我们就能够移除这个

used to control young women today.

用来控制年轻女性的强大工具。

After telling you this,

告诉你们这些后，

you may wonder what the alternative is,

你可能会想，有没有替代品，

for if we cannot use the hymen as a proof of virginity for women,

如果我们不能用阴道瓣 检查女性的贞操，

then what should we use?

那么我们应该用什么方法？

We opt for using nothing.

我们选择，不使用任何方法。

(Cheering)

（欢呼）

If you --

如果你——

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

If you really want to know if a woman is a virgin or not,

如果你真的想知道 一个女性是否是处女，

ask her.

问她。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But how she answers that question is her choice.

但她如何回答这个问题 是她的选择。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）