Vietnamese Virginity Test Not Gay Inclusive

A Vietnamese acupuncturist has famously used a male virginity test to free three convicted rapists, but she says the test cannot detect whether men have had sex with other men.

According to the Associated Press, traditional medicine practitioner Pham Thi Hong looks for small red dots on the back of men's ears to prove their virginity. She says the dots disappear if men have had sex with women, a claim she pressed to help free the convicted rapists.

"Her claims are unusual even for a country where acupuncture and traditional medicine are still common remedies, but Hong's determination to have the case reopened -- even threatening to light herself on fire -- led to prosecutors re-examining the case. The convictions eventually were suspended due to flaws by initial investigators," reported the AP.

However, Hong said the virgin detection test, which has earned her widespread media coverage in Vietnam, does not apply to gay men.

"She says she was first taught how to determine if a man has ever had sex by feeling their pulse," reports the AP. "She later developed the ear-spot method on her own. She says the spot will only disappear after heterosexual intercourse and is not affected by gay sex or masturbation."