In Turkmenistan, schoolgirls are forced to undergo virginity tests to assess their “moral purity”

Officials report those who "fail" the test to the security services. According to other education officials in the region, police often check the cell phones of girls on the "unreliable" list to obtain information about their alleged sexual partners.

Officials report those who “fail” the test to the security services. According to other education officials in the region, police often check the cell phones of girls on the “unreliable” list to obtain information about their alleged sexual partners.

Such checks are linked to a rise in teenage pregnancies in the region in recent months.