Rapper T.I. says he visits the gynecologist every year with daughter to "check her hymen"
T.I. is facing backlash on social media for saying he goes to the gynecologist with his teenage daughter each year to "check her hymen" is still intact. The rapper's controversial comments were in response to a question about whether he's had the "sex talk" with his daughters, reports BuzzFeed News.
In a Tuesday episode of the podcast "Ladies Like Us," T.I. was speaking with hosts Nazanin Mandi and Nadia Moham about parenting, when the question came up. The rapper, who has six children, brought up how he handles the discussion with his oldest daughter, 18-year-old Deyjah Harris.
"Not only have we had the conversation. We have yearly trips to the gynecologist to check her hymen," T.I. said, according to BuzzFeed. "Yes, I go with her."
The rapper told the hosts that after the teen's 16th birthday party, he put a sticky note on her door that read, "'Gyno. Tomorrow. 9:30.'"
"So we'll go and sit down and the doctor comes and talk, and the doctor's maintaining a high level of professionalism," T.I. explained, adding that the doctor asked Harris if was ok to tell her dad the results. "He's like, 'You know, sir, I have to, in order to share information' — I'm like, 'Deyjah, they want you to sign this so we can share information. Is there anything you would not want me to know? See, Doc? Ain't no problem.'"
T.I. added he had been told the hymen can be torn or broken in activities other that vaginal sex, such as "bike riding, athletics, horseback riding, and just other forms of athletic physical activity." However, he appeared to brush the comments off.
"So I say, 'Look, Doc, she don't ride no horses, she don't ride no bike, she don't play no sports," he said, BuzzFeed reported. "Just check the hymen, please, and give me back my results expeditiously.'"
He also informed the podcast hosts, as well as their listeners, that "as of her 18th birthday, her hymen is still intact."
T.I.'s comments have faced intense backlash on social media."Idk who needs to hear this but virginity is a made-up social construct, and it has absolutely nothing to do with your hymen," tweeted Planned Parenthood in a long thread.
"This is horrible on so many levels," tweeted Jennifer Gunter,a prominent gynecologist, in another long thread explaining what the hymen is and debunking common myths about it.
"No exaggeration, T.I. invading the space and humanity of his daughter like this is one of the most disgusting things I've ever heard," tweeted author Frederick Joseph.
The practice of "virginity testing" was condemned by the World Health Organization, U.N. Human Rights and U.N. Women in 2018 when the organizations issued a statement demanding the elimination of the practice. Virginity testing, also referred to as hymen, "two-finger" or per vaginal examination, "is an inspection of female genitalia designed to determine whether a woman or girl has had vaginal intercourse," according to the WHO.
The WHO further stated the practice has no scientific or clinical basis and is a violation of human rights, adding that it can be detrimental to the women or girls' well-being.
The episode of the podcast, titled "Life Hacks with T.I." is still available to listeners, however it appears the controversial comments have since been edited out. The show's network Podcast One or Harris have not yet responded to comment. However, Harris has liked various tweets condemning her father's behavior, including one calling it "disgusting, possessive and controlling."
