AHMEDABAD:A scientific triumph or a regressive procedure that further compromises theposition of women in conservative India? Either way, surgeons in Gujarat are setto cash in on the demand for hymenoplasty, the term for medical restoration of awoman's technicalvirginity.

More and more womenare queuing up for the surgical procedure that will restore their hymens andkeep their virtue intact in the eyes of their future in-laws and husbands.Hymenoplasty had clandestinely begun eight years ago in this city. Of late,however, such surgeries are on therise.

Young Gujarati girls turnup with the sole intention of "keeping their future in-laws under the illusionthat they are virgins", said cosmetic surgeon Hemant Saraiyahere.

"Two out of the sevengirls who came for hymenoplasty to me said they were sex workers who wanted toget married. One of them didn't want her in-laws to know that she was not avirgin. "The other didn't want her future husband to find out that she had had apremarital affair," saidSaraiya.

He described it as asimple surgery that was not too painful for patients. "I operated the firstpatient eight years ago, but five patients came during the last couple ofyears," he said.

Plasticsurgeon Bijal Parikh said that people were very inquisitive about the surgeryalthough only two patients actually came to him forhymenoplasty.

"Moreover, the surgery ismuch cheaper in India. Also, we have five-star hospitals in the city that areeconomical compared to any of India's metro cityhospitals."

Sociologist GaurangJani, for instance, holds medical professionals responsible for "not educatingpeople" in order to profit monetarily from such a gender-biasedoperation.

"If hymenoplastybecomes a trend, it will provide our patriarchal set-up with a more conduciveenvironment to retain old mindsets. Only the doctors willprosper."

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