Telangana doctors unware of ban on 2-finger test

Hyderabad: The medical examination of victims in rape and sexual exploitation cases will now follow a new set of guidelines as the Union ministry of home affairs which has discontinued the virginity test.

Doctors in the state, however, are not aware of it and have not been trained for the observational tests. The guidelines were issued in July and only a few doctors were trained and they were supposed to train local doctors but that did not happen.

A senior forensic professor from Osmania Medical College explained, “The two-finger virginity test for vaginal laxity has been discontinued by the government. Any comment or observation about the sexual life of women is not to be recorded. The new law states that there must be other physical observations carried out of injury marks, wounds and the psychological trauma of the women. These are to be recorded by doctors which is a tough task.”

“A vaginal test is a direct evidence of rape and sexual exploitation. The new guidelines will be tough to follow. Doctors have to be trained in these but the state government has not carried out any training so far,” the forensic professor added.

Meanwhile, SHE teams have been trained in identifying the cases but the doctors have not been called in yet. Medical records play an important role in ascertaining a case of rape and sexual exploitation and are seriously taken up by the court.

Another senior forensic professor of Gandhi Medical College said, “The medico-legal training has to be provided to doctors as it becomes important to use the right words. Often due to lack of training, the right expressions are not used and it goes against the victim. Hence recording observations requires proper knowledge and right terminology as it can be females, males and also transgender.”