Minister preparing a bill to ban hymen reconstruction

Health minister motivated to empower women and break away from old-fashioned health myths

The health minister, Ellen Trane Nørby, is preparing a bill to ban hymen reconstruction – a practice that is becoming increasingly common at private clinics in Denmark.

Artificial reconstruction will not be allowed unless there is a medical purpose. If the law is breached, fines will be enforced.

The hymen is a thin membrane that covers the vaginal opening, and it is commonly believed that it bursts during sexual intercourse for the first time and causes bleeding.

However, according to Wellness Kliniek, this is an exaggeration, as only 44 percent of women experience bleeding when they lose their virginity.

Almost half of reconstructions for the purpose of demonstrating bleeding on a wedding night, for example, are therefore a waste of time.

A message to young women
As well as dispelling some of the myths that surround women bleeding after their first sexual encounter, the minister also wants to raise awareness of old-fashioned ideologies and female oppression.

“The bill comes from my deep desire to modernise the language we use about women’s bodies,” Nørby said.

“I want to send a message to young women that they shouldn’t feel like they’re under pressure to have an invasive procedure to satisfy a myth about what it means to be a woman in 2018.”

Similar to piercings
According to Wellness Kliniek, which offers hymen surgery, the procedure should be carried out four to six weeks before the wedding night.

Under anesthetic, remnants of the hymen are pieced together to close the tear.

The HC Anderson Clinic offers reconstructions for 6,000 kroner.

The head of the clinic, plastic surgeon Jens Pilegaard, confirmed to Ekstra Bladet that there is heavy demand for the procedure.

“It’s similar to girls who want to have piercings on their face,” he told the tabloid.




  • The internationals who created an app to make friends in Denmark  

    The internationals who created an app to make friends in Denmark  

    A team of young internationals has created an app that is helping their peers connect and build friendships in Denmark, addressing the challenges of social integration.

  • New documentary stirs debate in Denmark and Greenland 

    New documentary stirs debate in Denmark and Greenland 

    The documentary Greenland’s White Gold, reveals the worth of cryolite mining in Greenland to be in the billions. Over the years its value has been undermined, despite it acting like a gold mine for the Danish state. 

  • Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    On February 14 and 15, the last terrorist attack took place in Denmark. Another episode occurred in 2022, but in that case, there was no political motive behind it

  • Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    We all know Christiania and have been there at least once. But how does the Freetown work? How are decisions made? Can a person move there? Is there rent or bills to pay? British journalist Dave Wood wrote a reportage on Christiania for The Copenhagen Post.

  • The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    Isha Thapa unfolds her research “An Analysis on the Inclusivity and Integration of South Asian Women in High-Skilled Jobs within the Danish Labor Market”. Thapa describes the systemic and social challenges these women face, ranging from barriers in social capital to cultural integration.

  • Parents in Denmark reject social media monitoring 

    Parents in Denmark reject social media monitoring 

    Most parents in Denmark reject using social media parental controls despite knowing about them. A new study questions the effectiveness of these tools in ensuring children’s online safety.