Russia orders doctors to carry out 'virginity tests' on underage girls and 'inspect the integrity of the hymen' if they are believed to have had sex
Yelena Uvarova, chief gynaecologist for children and adolescents, branded the virginity tests 'absolutely unacceptable' and questioned their legality.
Newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets warned the checks would lead to a 'sad result'.
'Imagine a young girl in love, her sleepless nights, her pleasures and horrors and her wish to hide her secret,' said its report.
'And she gets health problems - a sexually transmitted disease or suffers another gynaecological condition. 'Does she go to the doctor who will find out about her 'damaged hymen' and report her to the police?
'And her tender secret will then go on a police record and later reach her parents, teachers and classmates?
'For sure this girl will not go to the doctor and then who knows how it will affect her future life and health?'
One social media critic said underage sex should be a problem for families to resolve 'not government bodies'.
Another complained: 'The minister and police have nothing else to do... we live in medieval times.'
An opponent added: 'Why do they want to report about girl only? What about boys who are not virgins....I am against early sex but reporting it to the police is idiotic.'
A row has erupted in Russia after doctors were instructed to perform virginity checks on underage schoolgirls.
Doctors have begun implementing an order from the Russian Investigative Committee - seen as the equivalent of the FBI - demanding that all medical evidence of sex involving girls under the age of 16 should be reported to the police.
The edict has led to an angry backlash with claims that girls will avoid going to clinics even when they have sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancies.
Russia's health ministry has joined newspapers and social media in lashing out at the virginity checks for young girls.
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