Saudi doctor: Driving a car does not hurt women's ovaries

By Abdullah Al-shiri The Associated Press

Published: September 30, 2013 4:48 pm
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia • A Saudi doctor has gone on-air to dismiss claims made by a well-known cleric who caused a stir when he said medical studies show driving affects a woman's ovaries.

In comments aired over the weekend by the privately owned Rotana channel, gynecologist Mohammed Baknah says scientific studies have not proven that driving has adverse effects on women's reproductive health.

He was addressing remarks by Sheik Saleh Saad el-Leheidan who said that women who drive suffer from having the pelvis forced upward. His remarks were published Saturday in an interview with the website el-Sabq.

Hard-line clerics have opposed a campaign scheduled for October 26 calling on women to drive in defiance of a ban in the ultraconservative kingdom.

Another cleric this month called on people to harass women who drive.

© Copyright 2024 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.