How was Virginity Understood and Perceived in Early Time

Virginity Testing and The Hymen

Sources from earlier periods have conveyed the expectation that respectable women will remain sexually virginal until they are married (Kelto, p. 167, 2022). Not only the women being married away, but also their families relied on their intact virginity, particularly in the upper class (Kelto, p.167). Respectable prospect husbands believed they are entitled to be the first to open their new wives’ sex organs, allowing them to be the first and only to make their mark (Kelto, p.167, 2022). On page 167, Kelto (2022) says “The rise of this belief probably created additional pressure on women to maintain premarital virginity, along with new concern over whether one’s vagina would make one’s virginity sufficiently obvious as marriage began”. This is ultimately when virginity testing has become popularized.

There was concern brought to light that virginity testing puts the women at risk if their genitals are not able to accurately depict their abstinent state (Kelto, p.174). Which as we know today can not be backed up by science, as children grow diversely shaped hymen tissue, which varies in thickness and changes with age (Kelto, p.192, 2022). Not only can the hymen tissue rupture in non-sexual ways, but sometimes it can withstand penetration, or not exist to begin with (Kelto, p.192). The line between an intact or broken hymen was insubstantial, and deciphering between the two was difficult, which was even recognized by early Christian’s (Kelto, p.192, 2022). “Alongside the question of whether inspections can be justified when virginity ultimately resides in the soul, church leaders faced the question of how to classify women whose physical intactness is damaged against their will through an accident or sexual violence (Kelto, p.195, 2022).

Ann Lee and The American Shakers

“Ann Lee (1736-1784) was the founder of the ‘American Shakers’, a group that referred to themselves as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing” (Young, p.405, 1993). The Shakers were known for their highly emotional devotional services such as, dancing, singing, shouting, speaking in tongues or even shaking with emotion (Young, p.405, 1993). Since Ann Lee was the founder of the group, her followers idolized her and found community within eachother. Ann Lee was married and had four children all who died incredibly young, she saw these tragedies as a punishment for sexual desire she experienced (Young, p.405, 1993). I find it to be interesting that she decided that her sexuality, even if done 'by the book' so to speak was the reason for her misfortunes events. Ann Lee had this negative view of sexuality confirmed for her through a vision she had, when the expulsion from Eden was because of female sexuality (Young, p.405, 1993). She saw that the only was for human beings to be reconciled to God, would be by giving up sex, and becoming completely chaste (Young, p.405, 1993). This is why Celibacy was held to such importance among The Shakers (Young, p.405, 1993). It could even be said that this was their sole purpose, and how they bond with one another. There are only two reasons for the act of sex to be performed, the first being sexual enjoyment in union, the second being for the production of offspring (Young, p.407, 1993). Within marriage both are accepted, as long as it does not consume the relationship, and there is time made for prayer. 

Men

The contrast between how every aspect of female and male virginity is different is extremely prevalent. This can be represented in many ways, in past religious texts there is very little, if any at all information on restriction of male sexuality. Not only is there a lack of guidelines when it is or is not appropriate, but also a different course of action if said guidelines are defied. In the Quran, is says that “Men are the managers of the affairs of women for that God preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for they they have expanded of their property” (Young, p.98, 1993). Within this context, it means that men are the rulers over the women in their lives, specifically wives. All we know is that they had the sexual agency over themselves, and their wives, but not much other than that. "Overall, the turn toward anatomical and perceptible-physiological conceptualizations offered new justifications for preexisting patterns, entrenching even more deeply traditional notions about gender dif-ference, double standards for sexual behavior and sexual appeal, and the belief that male-female sexual relationships are inherently tinged with violence" (Kelto, p.169, 2022).