Section 138: Offence of aiding or abetting etc a person to carry out virginity testing: England and Wales

Health and Care Act 2022 · 2022 c. 31View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 5: Virginity testing and hymenoplasty offences — CHAPTER 1: Virginity testing offences

It is an offence under the law of England and Wales for a person who is in England and Wales, or for a person who is outside England and Wales but who is a United Kingdom national or habitually resident in England and Wales, to aid, abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of virginity testing that has a sufficient jurisdictional connection.

Virginity testing has a sufficient jurisdictional connection for the purposes of subsection (1) if it is carried out in relation to a person who is—

in the United Kingdom,
a United Kingdom national, or
habitually resident in the United Kingdom.

This section does not affect the application to an offence under section 136 of any rule of law relating to aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring.

In this section—

  • “United Kingdom national” has the meaning given by section 136(4);

  • “virginity testing” has the meaning given by section 136(2).

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This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.