Virginity, as with many things that have been shoved down our throats since birth, is a social construct. Women were (and still are) told to protect their virginity and only have sex once they are married. If we have premarital sex, we are labeled as sluts and are accused of having no self-respect. Any form of female sexual exploration is prohibited. The concept of preserving virginity is not even a thought when it comes to men. They are encouraged to lose their virginity during their teenage years because it "makes them a man."

The more sexual partners they have, the better because it lengthens the list of their conquests.

Unfortunately, there are some fathers obsessed with wanting to make sure that their daughters never have sex, while simultaneously congratulating their sons on losing their virginities. The rapper T.I. recently revealed that he is one of those fathers that are overly interested in their daughter's sex life.

He proudly shared that he takes his daughter Deyjah to the gynecologist every year in order to check if her hymen has broken. T.I. believes the archaic notion that a woman's hymen can only break when they have sex, so if the doctor were to see that her hymen broke, it would prove that she was no longer a virgin. Even though the doctor made sure T.I. was aware that the hymen could break from various activities, like riding a bicycle, he still demanded that the doctor check if his daughter's hymen was broken.

It is disturbing and possessive for T.I. to force his daughter to go to the gynecologist each year in order to confirm that she is still a virgin.

He could be using these yearly visits to make sure that Deyjah is healthy but instead uses it as a way to embarrass her into being a virgin. It genuinely makes me uncomfortable how invested he is in her virginity. Deyjah's vagina is not yours to police. As her father, you should be teaching her about contraceptives, consent, and other necessary information to ensure that she has safe sex. It is unrealistic for you to try to prevent her from having sex, and by making it seem taboo, you are most likely increasing her desire to have sex. There is nothing wrong with your teenage children being curious about sex. It is a natural part of life and it is up to you to build enough trust with them to make them feel like they can come to you should they have any questions or concerns regarding sex.

T.I. may argue that he takes his daughter on these yearly gynecologist trips in order to keep her safe, but that would be a complete lie.

I am almost positive that he only takes her on these trips so that she does not make him look bad by having sex and being a "slut." I feel incredibly bad for Deyjah and I hope she is able to learn that having sex is not shameful, despite the ideas her father is trying to plant inside her head.