In some societies a young girl/woman is in fact examined by a community elder or family member (man) to ensure that she is a virgin and has an intact hymen. If, it is determined that her hymen is not intact for whatever reason, she is judged to be a non-virgin and unsuitable for marriage. Apparently, women in these Middle Eastern societies are much less active, physically, so the liklihood of having an intact hymen is pretty high.

In Western societies where women are much more physically active the fact of being a virgin or not is pretty much taken on her word. There are many situations that can contribute to the erosion of a hymen and in all, the woman is considered a virgin simply because she has not experienced or engaged in intercourse. A pure as it is simple.

Yea I think that is just a scare tactic.
If anything they would have to do an examination like any other Pelvic exam women have to go through.
But like Talie says, the hymen can be worn away by different things, like sports, tampons,etc.
One of my friends busted hers when she was little. She was riding a boys bike, and slipped off the seat and busted her groin on the bar.... so I mean anything can happen lol.

You can never be sure if someone is a virgin or not. as the hymen can be broken from things like sport.

There is no such thing as a virginity test. I look into many each week and even the absence of a hymen in a mid-teen does not tell me she has had sex.

I hate to think of the ideas about sex that have been planted in this young woman's head.

Granted that there is no such thing, but I can't understand why a mother would want to do this anyway. What if the test is positive? What will she do? Say 'I told you so'? It doesn't make sense, and sounds like a scare tactic to me. Seems like a rather cruel thing for a mother to do to her daughter.

Sick. Yes, the mom has serious problems. And this is a reason about a quarter of the women in the world never experience orgasm (or are considered frigid). This borders on child abuse.

They only thing that would be definitive would be finding semen in her. That would have to be within a few hours after sex without a condom.

smilexelectric's friend must come from an incredibly controlling and uptight culture if they actually still practice such outdated and cruel marriage rituals.

Think about the psychological damage she will undergoe just from the exam, let alone the abuse she may receive afterwards depending on the results.

I believe in cultural traditions, but mutilation or virginity exams, I just don't support.

I've always wondered, why does the man want the woman to be a virgin anyway? Wouldn't sex on the wedding night be so much better if the girl had experience in bed?

My thoughts exactly.

Men in such cultures derive their status from the virtue of their females and they see women not as person but as commodities. Virgins are prized because they have not known other men and thus are "fresh, clean, and pure" - for more information on this topic please read "Burned Alive" by Souad and Judith Armbruster, "Burned Alive: A Survivor of an "Honor Killing" Speaks Out" by Souad, and "Now They Call Me Infidel" by Nonie Darwish.

As to what to do about it - call the police as this is, in the West, a form of child abuse! If she is in our country, then our laws prevail.