A factory in an industrial suburb in Ho Chi Minh City has found an interesting way to combine good old sweatshop labor and mail order bride services. In addition to producing a variety of cheap, handmade articles, the factory also operates a service called Mr. Cupid International Matchmakers that offers its workers as virgin brides for foreign men.

The factory is no human meat market. New girls are examined by matronly female supervisors who check stretch marks, caesarean scars, and other signs of previous pregnancies. The next step is a medical exam to check for an intact hymen. Non-virgins are rejected immediately .

Once accepted, the women are watched by female supervisors at the factory who penalize them for laziness, talkativeness, and other unladylike behavior.

“These girls are marrying abroad. They have to be obedient to their husbands,” says Martin Wong, managing director of Mr. Cupid’s Singapore office, “We’re preparing them for their new lives.”

I wonder if they accept older models for re-tooling. . .