Artificial hymen: $29.95.
Your dignity: Priceless.
You choose which to keep.
The Artificial Hymen Kit, made internationally available by HymenShop.com, promises to "restore your virginity in five minutes." For about $30, women can buy a packet of fake blood and "membrane" from Hong Kong that's supposed to be utilized -- secretly -- during sex.
The site implies that the shocking product will save marriages by allowing women to trick their significant others into thinking they still have a hymen.
"Kiss your deep dark secret goodbye and marry in confidence," the site reads. "Have your first night back anytime!"
The site also assumes that women are afraid that their hymens can be broken "via physical activity or even by the use of a tampon."
If, for some reason, a brand new hymen sounds appealing to you, don't get your hopes too high. New York Magazine took the product for a test run, and it seems like the Artificial Hymen Kit serves more as a packet of fake blood than actual flesh.
The Artificial Hymen Kit is exactly what it sounds like: Sealed in silver packages and nestled in a bed of pink satin in a small wooden box, the kit contains two “prosthetic membranes.”
We conclude, the "hymen" part of this device is besides the point. What’s to break? It dissolved instantly. But does that matter? I don’t know anyone who’s actually felt a hymen break mid-intercourse, and suspect that those utilizing the artificial hymen in earnest don't, either.
In some parts of the world, the fake hymen is controversial. Egyptian lawmakers tried to ban a similar product in 2009 after a radio reporter translated the Chinese advertisement for the product into Arabic. While the fake hymen might seem ridiculous to some, virginity, as New York Magazine points out, "can be a literal issue of life and death" in some parts of the world.
That said, this particular kit sells primarily to buyers in the United States.
Related
Before You Go
