When I was in Korea about ten years ago, one of my male university students was eager to explain the "ins and outs" (sorry- couldn't resist- pun definitely intended) of hymen reconstruction surgery. According to him, it was a common occurrence for girls about ready to get married and needing that "extra dose of virginity" that they may have been lacking. While in some countries, bicycle or horseback riding might serve as an excellent excuse for a "broken hymen" for lack of a better term, neither sport is popular enough in South Korea to be credible. Another friend of mine attended an international school in the middle east and said it was a popular "procedure" for the female graduates of his particular high school. Magic not necessary- instantly you are a virgin again, but somehow I don't think this is what Madonna was referring to her in her 80's pop song.

All this, of course, begs the question-" what exactly happens in hymen reconstruction surgery anyway? According to a rather informative website cleverly titled www.revirgination.net, there are two  basic types of hymen reconstruction surgery.

For a temporary, month-long fix, the simple hymenoplasty may be the modest woman's best bet. According to the site, this can be done by piecing the parts together to close the tear. If it sounds painful, it may very well be, but is not supposed to be dangerous. For a comparison from your own experience, think of delicate stitches.

The Alloplant (which to me sounds strangely like the Aloe plant, but presumably has no connection) sounds a bit more involved. This is the procedure that is done if your original hymen can't be reconnected and involves a piece of "tear-through biomaterial" being inserted to act as your hymen. To be honest, I am not exactly sure what "tear-through biomaterial" refers to. And, as I am way past the age where I gain street-credibility for my virginity, I am not likely to have the "procedure" done in order to find out.

The costs for this are not minimal: the site I referenced for the article gave an estimate nearing $4,000.00 leading me to believe that the family of the bride must be paying for the surgery in addition to the wedding.

Although I am referring to the surgery in somewhat of a joking manner, being found out as a non-virgin can have serious consequences for some women due to religious and societal customs, which is the main reason for its popularity as method. As a woman in the United States, I think it is hard to understand this from a societal context in a country in which 15 years old is the average age for a girl to have sex. I would hope that most men and their families would understand that is unlikely for a woman to be a virgin in this modern society, but I also wonder about the possible conflicts for women of different religions and cultures within the US.