Virginity soap

Lori over at Sand gets in your eyes asks what my opinion is of virginity soap. Lori lives in Saudi Arabia, and that's where she saw it. When I read her post, I thought, hey, we have virgin soap here; what's the difference?

Oh, and we have slut soap too, for that Madonna/whore dichotomy. But while the Dirty Girl brand soaps above are presumably campy and not to be taken seriously, virginity soap is a different story:

The idea is that the soap’s astringents “constrict and tighten" , creating that coveted "look and feel" of virginity.

One manufacturer boasts their product is...."Used and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of women in the Middle East and Asia, it has brought back youthful passions, rekindled sensual yearnings, and completely intensified sexual experience.”

Well, okay. But again, this is by no means just a Middle East thing. I first heard of China Shrink cream when I was, I believe, a sophomore in high school (1991!):

China Shrink Cream can be used to tighten vaginal muscles. Five minutes after application, the vagina will tighten and maintain its tightness for a period of 24 hours.

Each tube contains 1/2 ounce of cream. The active ingredient is Potassium Alum. Potassium Alum is usually used in cheese preparation and to make foods sour.

Important Note; Do not use China Shrink Cream if you are pregnant.

Anyway, Lori's central concern is that women's chastity is a very high-stakes issue in the Middle East, and that desperate might take virginity soap too seriously. While virginity soap doesn't seem to be harmful, I agree with Lori that the whole situation is sad, particularly the placement of the responsibility of chastity on women. But again, here in the USA we have father/daughter purity balls.

I guess my opinion is that the distinction, to me, is blurred somewhat, though the consequences of first-time sex for women may be more severe in Saudi Arabia than they are in western countries -- but hey, what do I know? What exactly are the consequences, anyway?